


Turf

by jiiyongiee



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gang World, Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Alternate Universe - Punk, Gangs, Gangsters, M/M, Punk Exo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-13
Updated: 2017-05-18
Packaged: 2018-04-14 12:49:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 66,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4565262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jiiyongiee/pseuds/jiiyongiee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jongdae was always the introvert that lead a pretty normal life, nothing out of the ordinary. This all changes when a pink haired man comes into his work and throws his world upside down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was mainly inspired by a lot of Punk!Edits that i found of most of the members of EXO, i dont know who the original editors are so i cant post them sorry! This is my first EXO fic so please be understanding, im very new to the fandom and i dont know all that much. I had a bit of help from a friend who had been in the fandom for much longer than me but most of it is based off of my current knowledge and what i could find out. I also write my fics on my phone as I don't have access to a computer so the layout may be quite chunky and I apologise. I am working on it. 
> 
> Trigger warnings for Drugs, Possible Blood, Mentions of rape (although not detailed at all).

Jongdae was nothing more than an ordinary guy. He came from a good home with loving parents, he cruised through school with good grades and lots of friends. After school he settled for a simple job that consumed his week, he woke up, went to work and came home, a routine that never changed and Jongdae never intended for any alteration on his life style. He was perfectly content with his shoebox apartment and his minimum wage, he was a model citizen and he took great pride in that.  
The coffee shop where he worked was busy, full of regulars and new customers, Jongdae found himself rushing on his feet, taking orders and producing them quickly for the waves of customers that came to the counter in what seemed like a never ending que. The cafe was a respectful one on the richer side of town, all customers were pretty much the same, stay at home mothers, high end workers and school kids whose parents gave them too much allowance. Despite the business of the job, Jongdae wouldn't swap it for the world, he'd always had a great interest in people, he found joy in conversing with strangers about their lives and hobbies, it made him feel more educated about his surroundings. On less busy days he often found himself talking to customers while they sipped on their coffees alone. The young boy had such a friendly vibe that customers found it easy to talk to him.

Jongdae let out a quiet sigh as he glanced at his watch; it was 2 o'clock, a quiet time for the cafe. He took the opportunity of not many customers as a chance to start cleaning the coffee machine, the process wasn't necessarily long but it was hard to find time for it except after closing hours. Jongdae scrubbed the machine, mind wondering to simple things like whether he needed to go food shopping, what he should watch on Netflix that night. Caught in his thoughts, a voice caused Jongdae to jump slightly as he turned to see a very peculiar looking customer. 

 

"Hey can I get a black coffee?" The guy asked politely.

Jongdae smiled and nodded as he set about making the hot drink. As the machine whirred and ground the beans, he often found himself looking back at the male standing by the counter. He had so many distinguishing features that he almost didn't know where to look first, the man had a light shade of pink for his hair colour, it would of almost resembled candy floss if not for the way it was styled in a messy spiked fashion.  
The pink haired man’s skin was like a canvas, covered in intricate art that complimented the olive skin tone. The features Jongdae was most drawn to were the man’s piercings, some weren't like any he'd ever seen before, a thin ring was hanging from his septum, his lip and eyebrow was also pierced. He also had stretchers in his ears that lead up to piercings in the cartilage. The final part of his look were his ripped skinny jeans and a leather jacket to top it all off. Jongdae was entranced by the stranger’s looks, he'd never seen anyone like him in this shop, he looks so out of place.

Jongdae carefully placed the lid on the cup and turned with a bright smile, the stranger smiled back. 

"That's 7300 won please." Jongdae asked in a polite tone. The pink haired male complied and handed over the money, his eyes trailed down to Jongdae's name badge. 

"Thanks Jongdae." He said casually before picking up his coffee and walking to a table by the window. Willing himself to look away from the stranger, Jongdae went back to cleaning the machine, he didn't even last a minute before his eyes trailed back to look at the stranger. He'd removed the lid from the cup and was pouring a brown liquid in from a small silver flask, once he'd poured his desired amount, he slotted he flask back inside a pocket on the inside of his jacket. The few customers that had caught this action scowled at him but he took no notice.  
It wasn't till the pink haired man turned and met eyes with Jongdae that he realised he was staring. Jongdae's cheeks flushed but before he could avert his eyes, the stranger signalled for him to come over. Jongdae glanced at his colleagues nervously, seeing that their hands weren't too full, he headed to the strangers table. 

 

"Can I help you sir?" Jongdae asked. 

"Take a seat." The stranger requested kindly. Jongdae complied and slipped into the seat opposite him. 

"I'm Minseok." He introduced himself and bowed his head. Jongdae bowed in return and gave him a small smile. 

"I guess you already know my name." Minseok gave a wide smile, revealing fang like teeth, he honestly found them adorable. 

"Yes I do know your name but I would like to know more about you!" The statement took Jongdae slightly off guard. He was so used to asking others about themselves it was odd to hear the same question asked to himself. 

"Well I'm 21, I work here, I don't really have any hobbies, I have an apartment down town and I was born in the year of the monkey." Jongdae twiddled with his fingers nervously as he watched the information being processed through Minseok's eyes. 

"Well I'm 23, I work for myself and I like music."  
The conversation quickly progressed to talking about Jongdae's upbringing, his life, and his goals. By the time all of Minseok's coffee was finished Jongdae felt like Minseok knew everything about the barista however the pink haired male still remained a stranger. After hearing all he wanted to, Minseok scribbled his number onto a napkin and slid it to Jongdae. 

"I have to get going but if you ever feel like having a good time, give me a call." Minseok stated he gave the brunette a wink before standing; he bowed politely before heading out of the shop without a clear goodbye. Jongdae pocketed the napkin before turning to look out the window. Minseok stopped outside and pulled a cigarette to his lips. He promptly lit it and began walking away from the shop. Jongdae watched until the figure was completely out of sight, he sat in awe, intrigued by the strong presence of Minseok.

 

2 days had passed since Minseok had introduced himself to Jongdae and the day's events had barely left his thoughts since. The napkin was stuck on the fridge, almost taunting him whenever he walked into the kitchen, he so wanted to call that number but he had no idea what would happen. He didn't know this Minseok; much less what this 'good time' was that he had spoken of. Jongdae's had decided that meeting with Minseok was not a good idea at all but something in him didn't care. He wanted to rebel slightly. Jongdae glanced at his watch, 7 o'clock, it wasn't too late.  
Slowly pulling his phone out of his pocket, he began to dial the number on the napkin. His thumb hovered over the dial button momentarily, giving it one last think through, deciding that over thinking it was a bad idea, he pressed the button. The rings were tauntingly slow but on the fifth, a 'hello' came.   
"Oh hi, it's me Jongdae, y'know from the coffee shop? Um you said I should call. So uh, here I am!" Jongdae was rambling; he hadn't planned what he wanted to say. Minseok chuckled down the speaker. 

"I did didn't I? Okay, text me your address and I'll pick you up in half an hour." Minseok simply said before hanging up. Jongdae looked at the phone, once again confused by this Minseok's mannerism. The brunette texted his address over and began getting ready. Standing in front of a mirror he looked over his outfit, he was simply wearing a white t-shirt, a pair of black skinny jeans and a plaid shirt tied around his waist. However much Jongdae liked his fashion style he couldn't help but feel like he wouldn't fit in with Minseok wearing this.  
Turning to his wardrobe he dove in, in search of anything black, leather and ripped. Unfortunately Jongdae didn't have many items like that, the closest he could get was a plain black v neck and a leather jacket that looked too pristine to be approved of by Minseok but he put it on anyway. He finished off his look with a pair of black studs in his ears and placed a black Snapback atop his brown crimped hair. Once again he stood in front of the mirror, honestly he looked good, the outfit was very casual but yet screamed 'bad boy'. Jongdae smiled and winked at himself in the mirror before frowning, realising how lame that was. He was just spraying some after shave when his phone started ringing, it was Minseok's number. 

"Hello?"

"What up? I'm outside!"

 

The car parked on the streets was unbelievable. It looked more expensive then 10 years of Jongdae's rent! He had no idea Minseok had this kind of money. The roof of the matte black car was pulled down to reveal a tuff of pink hair, Minseok smiled up at him, eyes wrinkling in the corner. Jongdae smiled back as he got into the car 

"So what are we gonna go?" Jongdae asked curiously. 

"Just meet a couple friends of mine at a bar." Minseok replied casually. Jongdae panicked slightly, although he was legal to drink, he'd never actually been to a bar, they'd never appealed to him, they were full with drunkards and often pumped music he couldn't stand, there was nothing for him at bars. The two talked about Jongdae once again, recapping the last two days, talking of interesting customers. He found that every time he tried to turn the conversation over to Minseok, he'd only receive a very vague answer before Minseok starting pressing Jongdae again.  
The car stereo played heavy music with a lot of drumming and guitars, Jongdae didn't understand a lot of it as most of it was sung in English but the music wasn't that bad, he could get used to it. It was only a short drive before they pulled up outside a very sophisticated looking nightclub. The que outside was very long, full of men and women desperate to get inside, Minseok parked directly outside the club and the two got out. Jongdae wasn't keen on the idea of queuing but if that was what Minseok intended he guessed he'd have to deal with it. Jongdae was surprised when the pink haired punk headed straight for the front door, the bouncer only looked at him for a split second before letting him straight in. 

"He's with me!" He called back as he headed into the heaving club. Jongdae quickly scrambled in after him in hopes of not losing him in the huge crowd. Inside was phenomenal; the music was a heavy mixture of dubstep and heavy metal, which hyped up the crowd significantly. The ceiling was covered from every inch in twinkling lights that resembled stars in the sky; strobe lighting filled the place accompanied with laser lighting throwing itself all around the huge room, Jongdae had never seen something like this in person before.  
Minseok's pastel hair almost glowed under the UV lighting making him easy to spot; he didn't stop to dance or buy a drink though, he kept walking through the crowds. Jongdae couldn't help how at the sight of him, the crowds split like the Red Sea allowing him to pass through, and then Jongdae awkwardly behind him. Looking around, he'd see girls whispering into their friends ears, not that whispering could be heard in this place, but their eyes never left Minseok. Jongdae knew at this point that Minseok was a person of importance but for what reasons?

 

Minseok lead them to a door at the furthest wall from the entrance, on the door the sign glowed with the words 'private', he swung the door open and held it for Jongdae with a smile. Inside was just as entrancing as the main club, similar lighting on the ceiling but this room was full of strips of red LED lighting which gave the whole room a red tinge. The room was full of comfortable but odd looking sofas, accompanied with matching tables that were littered with bottles and glasses. The smell of smoke instantly hit Jongdae as he entered.

The room also had a private bad which had a bartender sat idly behind, thankfully the music was muffled through the wall so it was heard at a leisurely volume that you could speak over. The room was not empty however, Jongdae counted 10 other guys, sprawled across the sofas holding bottles and smoking their cigarettes. Nearly all of them maintained imagery similar to Minseok, with coloured hair, tattoos and piercings. Jongdae was standing wide eyed as he processed all of his surroundings; a pair of hands on his waist caught him off guard. 

"Don't be scared. They're fine, plus you look hot, they'll dig that." Minseok whispered into his ear, the warmth of his breath lingered and Jongdae blushed, he thanked his lucky stars that the lighting in the room was red and no one could see his red cheeks. One arm wrapped around Jongdae’s waist, Minseok lead the nervous brunette to the sofas. All eyes in the room were on the pair as they approached the other boys. 

"Yo Minseok, is this your coffee boy?!" One called over with a smirk. Minseok gave a sarcastic smile in return.

"Yes Chanyeol, this is Jongdae." Jongdae bowed slightly at the introduction and hoped he didn't look as nervous as he felt. 

"Come sit down." One said as he patted the seat beside him. Evidently this empty seat was right in the middle of the sofa between everyone, Jongdae nodded and shuffled over to the seat. The boy who had signalled him over didn't look much older than Jongdae himself, despite his purple hair, piercings and tattoos; he had the kindest eyes he'd ever seen.

"I'm Kyungsoo. Nice to meet you." He introduced himself in a voice which was just as soft as his eyes. Jongdae found the boy very comforting which allowed his nerves to calm down. Each boy took their turn to introduce themselves to Jongdae; all of them seemed nice except a select few who seemed cold towards him like Kris and Sehun. Jongdae had warmed up a lot to Kyungsoo, Chanyeol and Tao, he always liked making new friends.

 

After the introductions the 12 of them all fell into conversation, some Jongdae just sat and listened, not able to contribute but other times he threw himself right into the discussions. Jongin and Luhan were in a heated discussion about poker and other games the barista didn't understand, that's when he turned to see Chanyeol and Baekhyun snorting lines of white powder. As if just by seeing that alerted his senses he finally realised where that odd potent smell was coming from, a large joint was being passed around the circle and rapidly heading towards him. The brunette dipped on his beer, trying to act calm. He realised then and there that coming here was a mistake; Minseok had bought him to a drug fest that would be incredibly embarrassing if he tried to get out of it. The joint came to Kyungsoo who held it out towards Jongdae, the brunette looked at the purple haired punk with wide eyes. 

"It's okay if you don't want any, I'm not smoking any today either." Kyungsoo said softly with a comforting smile. Jongdae smiled back and passed the joint along to red haired Tao who sat on his right. Despite enjoying the company of Kyungsoo, Jongdae couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with all these drugs around. He looked over to Minseok, hoping he'd see how distressed he was and take him home but Minseok was also snorting something white off of the back of his hand.

 

Great, now Jongdae's only way of getting home was intoxicated.

 

Minseok looked up at Jongdae and smiled his toothy grin, hooking his finger, he beckoned the younger over. He stood slowly and headed over to Minseok, nervous again. 

"Tell me Jongdae, do you like to dance?" Minseok asked with a smirk. 

"I guess so." Jongdae replied. Minseok quickly hopped to his feet, the white powder starting to kick in. Minseok grabbed Jongdae's wrist and started leading him towards the main club, wolf whistles followed them through to the other room and before the door slammed shut Jongdae heard Chanyeol shout after them. 

"Minseok you fag! I love it!" The room erupted with laughter and the door closed. The pink haired punk dragged Jongdae into the crowd and started to dance, too close to Jongdae for his own comfort. Soon enough the taller boy began to loosen up and started to dance with the beat. Soon enough Jongdae was completely lost in the music, he had never danced in a club before but he was loving every moment of it, it wasn’t till his favourite song came on that he actually interacted with Minseok.

“Oh my god I love this song!” Jongdae screamed over the music, once again Minseok flashed him a fanged grin and continued to dance. Somehow Jongdae’s arm had draped itself over Minseok’s shoulder, pulling the shorter one closer. As the drop of the song came, the two’s movements became much more in sync as they ground together. The heat was becoming too much for Jongdae and he wished that he had ditched his jacket in the private room like Minseok had.  
The tall brunette pulled his jacket and dropped it to the ground without a seconds hesitation, not even bothering to think of all the feet that will trample it, all he could think about was dancing with Minseok. By now Minseok’s tattooed arms had wound their way around Jongdae’s waist, keeping a tight grip on him. Jongdae’s favourite song finished just as quickly as it came and he realised just how close he was to Minseok; he could taste the cigarette smoke on his breath and their noses were nearly touching. Jongdae pulled away quickly, suddenly uncomfortable with their closeness. Minseok looked confused but let go of Jongdae’s waist instantly.

“I-uh, I have to go, I’m sorry!.” Jongdae stuttered as he quickly turned on his heel and ran out of the club, leaving his jacket behind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I actually cant believe i've done this! I've written and posted a whole chapter the day after first publication! I'm going to try and keep this regular updating up as i adore this story plot! Anyway thank you for returning or starting, you're great thanks!

Once again Jongdae’s phone vibrated in his back pocket. Pulling it out to check the caller ID, Minseok’s number lit the screen, not for the first time. Minseok had called at least 5 times now, each time Jongdae had ignored him. It had been 4 days since Jongdae had walked out on Minseok and the guys and he had constant mixed feelings on the situation, at some times he felt bad for walking out after all he was getting close to Minseok too, but then at other times he decides that he was uncomfortable in the situation and it was perfectly fine that he took himself out of the situation.  
Regrettably Jongdae had left his jacket there that night; it was an expensive one at that. Part of him wanted to answer Minseok and see if the pink haired punk had picked up his jacket but he was too shy, he didn’t want contact at all. The café was surprisingly dead that day, only a select few customers came that day which allowed Jongdae and his other colleagues a chance to get the café as clean as possible. He took it upon himself to sweep and clean the floor, it didn’t take long as the café was always clean anyway. Jongdae stared out the window as he drug the mop along the floor, not really paying attention to his actions.  
Down the street he spotted a tuft of pink hair heading towards the café, Jongdae let out a stressed sigh. Soon enough Minseok was inside the shop, he stopped in front of Jongdae.

 

“Hey.” He said in a monotone voice. Jongdae bit his lip, not knowing how to deal with the tension between the two. 

"Hi Minseok." He said quietly. Jongdae couldn't help but notice the angered look in Minseok's eyes.

"You left your jacket." Minseok stated in the same tone. "It got trampled to shit though." Jongdae winced at the curse word; he hadn't heard Minseok swear before. The brunette couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed with the loss of his jacket. 

"That's a shame, thank you for coming to tell me." Jongdae said politely as if he was talking to a customer. Minseok rolled his eyes before pulling off his backpack and reaching inside. He pulled out a new leather jacket; dropping the bag to the floor, he held out the jacket to Jongdae. 

"I bought you a new one. It's real leather." Jongdae stared wide eyed at the jacket, it was almost the same as his old one, however with a bit of grunge distressing on it. He took the jacket from the shorter male and turned it around.  
Embroidered on the back was 3 large letters below, he recognised them from somewhere. He looked down at Minseok's hand, tattooed on the side was the same letters in the same style.

"What's EXO?" Jongdae asked curiously. 

"Don't worry about it for now." Jongdae couldn't help but notice what an odd answer that was but Minseok was an odd person. 

"Thank you, it's very nice but you really didn't have to, it looks expensive, at least allow me to pay you back?" Jongdae offered. Minseok scoffed slightly.   
"I don't think you'll want to pay me back. It was 550000 won."

Jongdae's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe that Minseok had spent so much money on him, for the replacement of a 92000 won jacket!

The gesture sent guilt through Jongdae's bones, he ran out on a guy that replaced his jacket that he foolishly left in the process of running away. He scratched the back of his neck nervously and gave Minseok an apologetic look. 

"I'm so sorry for running out on you. There was just so much going on that I was new to and I freaked out. It was rude of me." Minseok gave a small smile and patted Jongdae's shoulder. 

"It's fine. I shouldn't have dragged you over there." Minseok picked up his bag and slung it back onto his shoulder. "So what are you doing tonight?"

"Oh. I finish at 6 and I'm just going home."

"Cool." Minseok grinned like he did so often and headed out of the shop yet again without a goodbye. Jongdae walked to the back room where he hung up his new jacket. 

"So who's your new boyfriend?" asked his colleague Jihoo. Jongdae rolled his eyes and chuckled. 

"He's not my boyfriend. He's just a guy I know." 

"A scary guy. Since when were you in the punk scene?" Jihoo asked sarcastically. The brunette threw at tea towel at his friend. 

"Shut up." The two shared a laugh before returning to work. Jongdae couldn't get Minseok out of his mind as he cleaned and served customers, no matter what he thought of, it always led back to the pink haired punk. Thinking this way made the day drag on so slowly. The thought that Minseok was considering seeing him excited him but he didn't understand why. This Minseok was not the type of person he affiliated with, he knew that getting mixed up with Minseok and his friends would not be a wise thing to do but yet he couldn't stop thinking about seeing him again. It was if Minseok was the personification of rebellion and Jongdae desperately needed to rebel.

The streets were dark when Jongdae left work and were getting darker and darker with every passing minute. Jongdae listened to his headphones, replaying the song he and Minseok had danced to over and over again, trying to relive the moment mentally.

There was merely 5 minutes left of his walk left when a black fabric was pulled over his head and tightened around his neck. Before Jongdae could fight back against this mystery attacker, another set of hands pulled Jongdae's behind his back and handcuffed them. The pressure of the fabric around his neck restricted his breathing, not allowing him to yell. Tears formed in his eyes as he thrashed against the two men holding him but had no luck. Jongdae started feeling himself being dragged backwards, soon enough he was shoved into what felt like a trunk. The bag became loose around his neck allowing him to take a large breath. Arms still restrained, Jongdae kicked furiously against the boot. 

"LET ME OUT!" He yelled desperately. No reply came except the ignition turning and the car revving off. He couldn't have been in the car for longer than 20 minutes when it came to a halt. The boot opened and the bag was pulled off of Jongdae's head revealing two silhouettes standing over them. As the brunettes eyes adjusted he slowly started to make out familiar features. 

"Tao?....Chanyeol? What the hell?!" Jongdae exclaimed, fear still resting in his mind. Chanyeol was grinning like an idiot however it was Tao with his neutral expression that spoke first. 

"Just doing what I'm told man. Nothing personal." Tao grabbed his shirt and pulled him up and out of the boot causing Jongdae to slightly stumble as he got on his feet. In Front of him was a large apartment building that seemingly looked abandoned except from the cracks of light that shone through the boarded up windows. The whole area was littered with graffiti, most just useless words that teenagers found funny but one large piece of art caught Jongdae's eye. On the side of the apartment building was a relatively large symbol of the 3 letters on the back of his jacket and on Minseok's hand.

 

Was EXO a place?

 

Jongdae remained cuffed as Chanyeol led the way inside, his lanky legs giving him a happy hop in his legs. Tao followed closely behind Jongdae pushing him every time he slowed down. Jongdae was sick to his stomach, he had no idea what was happening; did Minseok have anything to do with this? Was he going to die? Inside was just like the nightclub from the other night; however this complex was eerily empty and silent. After clambering up 2 flights stairs, Jongdae found himself in a relatively dark room. Sat on a sofa on the far side was none other than Minseok himself.  
The shorter pink haired man rose with a sinister look in his eyes, as he walked over, his jacket moved with his arms, revealing gun holsters that clung to his torso. Jongdae lost any sense of calm he had left. He violently thrashed against the cuffs and Tao's hold.   
"Fucking let go of me!" Jongdae yelled. The brunette could feel his wrists getting sore but he ignored it, frantically trying to get away.

"Calm the fuck down Jongdae." Minseok said very seriously, causing Jongdae to pipe down although his heart was pounding and his breath as heavy. "We're not going to hurt you okay?" He added. His eyes moved from Jongdae to the other boys.  
"I told you not to scare him! What'd you do? Blindfold and cuff him? You were meant to bring him willingly and without causing a scene. Are you idiots?! Kris is going to be even more pissed now."  
Chanyeol pouted childishly. Tao's eyes flashed with anger. 

"It was Chanyeol who took it too far not me! Kris is going to be pissed at him, don't drag me into this shit." Tao said through gritted teeth.   
"Hey! No fair! I only put the bag over his head! You're the one who cuffed him!"

"Yes because people tend to fight back when you kidnap them you fucking idiot." Chanyeol's childish disappointment changed into a dark impression that sent chills down Jongdae's spine. By this point Minseok had a gun in his hands; Jongdae had never seen anything so threatening. 

"Both of you shut the fuck up. Take those cuffs off and get out." Minseok ordered. Tao stormed out immediately whereas Chanyeol's childish looks returned and he released Jongdae's hands. Before turning to leave, he hugged Jongdae and whispered a quick sorry before leaving.

 

The door was closed behind the two that left, leaving Jongdae and Minseok alone. Minseok sighed as he slotted his gun back into his holster.  
"Those idiots can't do anything right." He complained, voice returning to that he'd heard the first time Minseok had entered the coffee shop. 

"M-Minseok...I don't understand what's happening here." Jongdae muttered, fear and nerves consuming him. 

"I have a proposal for you. I wanted them to bring you along to ask you but obviously they went about it the wrong way and got you all frightened." Jongdae remained silent, not knowing what to say. Minseok looked intently into Jongdae's eyes. "You see the thing is Jongdae, I like you and I see a lot of potential in you. I want you to join us."

"What exactly are you?" Jongdae asked.  
Minseok chuckled.   
"I guess you could call us a independent organisation that specialises in area control." 

"You're street gang?" Jongdae asked, feeling stupid having even asked that aloud. Minseok laughed. 

"I guess you could call us that too." Jongdae was confused. Minseok was in a gang? That must mean the others were too and EXO must be their name, come to think of it, all of the other 10 boys had that same tattoo as Minseok. 

"Why the hell would I join a gang?!" Jongdae exclaimed loudly

"Lots of reasons, we can offer you lots of things you can't get anywhere else. Protection, respect, money, land and most important; Family." Minseok could still see the uncertainty in The taller boy's eyes. "We have a lot of different roles here, I'm not asking you to become a murderous drug dealer." Jongdae had to admit that Minseok was making the proposal sound tempting. The brunette was completely conflicted with him, parts of him knew that this whole situation was ridiculously dangerous and that he should get out of there immediately and call the police but another part wanted this so bad. The idea of being free from all rules and starting a new life so different from the one he currently possessed. 

"You can't expect me to make a decision right here and right now! This affects the rest of my life!"  
Minseok was growing frustrated the more Jongdae protested

"Be impulsive!" He almost shouted. "I can see it in you, you want this life, you want it so badly but you're not letting yourself. Come on! Just grab this opportunity, I promise you, you will never regret this." Minseok's frustration drained away as quickly as it had appeared, a smirk laced over his lips. He moved closer to Jongdae and pushed a strand of brown hair out of his eyes.  
"Plus, I can't exactly let you leave now that you've seen all of this." Minseok was scaring Jongdae more than he'd been before in his life. Tears began to form in the younger man’s eyes, he didn't want this. 

"You're going to keep me here against my will if I say no?" Jongdae asked nervously, his voice shaking. 

"No." A tidal wave of relief flooded over him and he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Minseok pulled his gun back out of the holster and held it pointed directly at Jongdae's forehead.

"I'll shoot you right here and now instead."

 

At the sight of the weapon it was a quick yes from Jongdae. Apart for the great fear for his life, he had trouble convincing himself to be disappointed with his decision. He guessed that Minseok was right, he did want this, it was only the logic that his parents had drilled into him. At the agreement Minseok had grinned and lowered the weapon. The pink haired male called Chanyeol back into the room, the silver haired boy burst into the room in seconds making it evident he was listening at the door.   
"Lead Jongdae to his new room. He's bunking with Sehun until he moves his stuff over." Minseok ordered.  
Chanyeol nodded and pulled Jongdae away by the sleeve of his leather jacket. Chanyeol chatted happily as they walked along but Jongdae couldn't process a single word. The boy couldn't process the fact he had just been kidnapped, threatened with death, joined a gang and moved house in all under an hour. The two were climbing more stairs when Jongdae noticed his breathing was so heavy it hurt his lungs, a strong nausea sat in his stomach and he began to shake all over.  
His laboured breaths must have been loud as Chanyeol whipped round and rushed to help Jongdae. 

"What's happening, are you having a panic attack? What the fuck do I do?!" Chanyeol began to freak out, calling out names in hope of aid. Soon enough Yixing and Kyungsoo were at their side, ready to help. They quickly discussed moving Jongdae to a bedroom but honestly he couldn’t care less where he was, he just wanted to wake up from this nightmare. He was scared, scared of this panic attack, scared of the men around him, scared for his future and scared for his life. Tears streamed down his face as he gasped for breath drastically, Yixing and Chanyeol wrapped their arms around Jongdae’s waist and placed their shoulders under his arms, shifting his weight on to them. Kyungsoo offered a comforting smile before speaking slowly in a calming tone.

“You are going to be okay. We’re going to take you to your room. It’s just down the corridor.” Jongdae found the short sentences comforting, he felt safer under the watch of Kyungsoo. Chanyeol and Yixing practically carried Jongdae up the remainder of the stairs and into a room, not far down the corridor like Kyungsoo had said. The room was dark, even with the lights on, placed in the middle of the room was a large king sized bed with a multi-coloured haired boy sat in the centre.

“What the fuck? Get out my room!” Sehun exclaimed as they all burst in. “What’s wrong with him? Why’s he here?”

“He’s your roomie until initiation; Minseok’s orders.” Chanyeol replied coolly. Sehun had a disgusted look on his face.  
“Minseok’s orders don’t mean shit. Get him out”  
“Sehun just let him calm down and he can stay in my room, but right now he needs help.” Kyungsoo reasoned. Sehun only rolled his eyes and shrugged lazily, eyes turning back to his phone. The boys lead Jongdae to the bed where he perched on the edge, Yixing pulled off the jacket to allow more skin the ability to breathe and cool the brunette down. Chanyeol knelt down in front of the ex-barista and looked up at him with wide innocent eyes.  
“It’s not that bad here. You just need to breathe. In and out.” Chanyeol breathed in deeply and exhaled evenly, showing Jongdae what he needed to try. Chanyeol kept doing it until Jongdae synced up with him. Eventually his breathing returned to normal and the nausea disappeared but his body still shook, he stared at his hands, watching them violently shake. He couldn’t help but feel consumed with embarrassment, Jongdae would have to be around these guys every day for the rest of his life and he’d acted like this in front of them; he felt even worse than he did before. Kyungsoo rubbed his shoulder.

“Are you feeling better now?” he asked. Jongdae didn’t know what to say; yes he was better physically but mentally? Mentally he was worse. The whole situation was taking time to sink in and it was sinking extremely slowly. All four of them understood what the silence meant, Kyungsoo shot a worried look to Yixing which was returned.  
“Alright, you’re coming back to my room. No objections. I got lots of shit to do to keep you occupied, a big bed, some clothes, we look the same size. Also I’m right by the kitchen so we can get food, and just chill out. That’s what you need right now, a nice-“ Chanyeol was cut off by Yixing.  
“You’re rambling again.” He stated in a tired tone.

 

With everything said, the silver haired boy picked up Jongdae’s jacket and escorted their new member to his room. The room was different to every other room in the complex that he’d been in so far. This room looked normal, exactly like an average teenager’s room. Clothes littered the floor but it maintained relatively tidy, however in this room where empty energy drinks would litter the sides, bottles of beer, whiskey and other alcohol’s littered nearly every surface. Jongdae found himself occasionally stepping on empty baggies, with small residue of the drugs that had once been inside.  
Chanyeol slumped down on the bed and picked up a manga book; seeing that Chanyeol was simply going to read his manga, Jongdae took the opportunity to take off his trousers and flop onto the bed. After snuggling into the covers he looked at Chanyeol through tired eyes.

“He keeps changing every time I see him. I want to know who he is but he won’t let me.” He said, yawning half way through his words. Chanyeol chuckled before moving his body so he was lying next to Jongdae on the bed.

“He’s a weird guy but I hope you know how lucky you are. What’s happened to you like never happens, we all joined as kids but you got offered all of this at no price.”

“At no price? He would’ve killed me if I said no! He had the gun pointed at me and everything.” Jongdae exclaimed. The silver headed boy nodded.

“Trust me, Minseok likes you more than he gives off, he wouldn’t have killed you. He’s too much of a pansy.” Jongdae smiled back at the boy at the description of Minseok, that’s what Jongdae wanted to hear about him, he wanted Minseok to be exactly the opposite of what he acted like 2 floors down.  
“So what is he then? Your boss?” he asked curiously, earning a scoff from the other.

“Minseok wishes he was in charge, Kris is our boss, or at least we call him Kris, we don’t know his real name. We all have cover names here, protects our identity a little more; plus it throws the cops off our trail for a small while. But yeah, Minseok is like Kris’ right hand man I guess?” Jongdae noted how much Chanyeol talked for future refrence. Someone who spoke this much would one day come in helpful somewhere.

Before he could reply, the brunette found himself drifting off slowly, until he was practically knocked out into a death like sleep.


	3. Bruising

The first week was hard. The life style was completely different from that Jongdae was used to. The boys were shaping him into another person, a person they liked to call Chen. The others had given him the opportunity to choose his own alternate name but he couldn't choose, he didn't want to choose something embarrassing. Eventually Minseok had chosen the name Chen for him, why Jongdae didn't know but it stuck. Despite picking up all his belongings and giving his notice of leave from his apartment Jongdae still didn't have a room of his own. Minseok had despised all of his furniture and refused to let it come into what he called 'his palace'; so Jongdae mostly jumped from room to room, sharing beds with the others or sleeping on their sofas.  
He would've stayed in Chanyeol's room however the frequent visits of Baekhyun made the atmosphere awkward, Jongdae didn't like being between the two as he strongly suspected the two were dating. The constant room jumping allowed him to form better relationships with the other boys, which Jongdae loved, being able to hear all their stories and backgrounds. The brunette was pleased that he and the colourful haired Sehun had eventually warmed up to each other, the two actually found themselves very compatible which meant Jongdae spent a lot of nights sharing Sehun's bed.

 

Jongdae's days mainly consisted of intense Mandarin lessons with Yixing, self-defence and fighting with Tao, who had gotten over his initial tantrum pretty quickly. He didn't see much of Minseok at all; he was always busy on the top floor with Kris or out 'working'. He didn't mind the pink hairs absence as he was still slightly weary after the gun incident. Jongdae's bones ached from training with Tao; he was still pretty bad which meant he often found himself being slammed onto the floor and pinned down painfully by Tao. Sehun was out at the nightclub with the others so Jongdae saw the opportunity of an empty room as something to take advantage of.  
He hadn't gone with the group as Tao had declared that Jongdae was not to be seen with them at all until he was able to hold himself in a fight; at first the brunette had deemed this as unfair but as the days passed, he's appreciated the time alone that much more. He curled himself up in the sheets and turned on Sehun's PlayStation, he played whatever disk Sehun had left in there for about an hour when a knock came at the door. It initially made him jump due to the mistake of thinking he was alone. 

 

"Come in." Jongdae called out, wondering who stood behind the door. It wouldn't have been Sehun, Chanyeol or Baekhyun; they would've just burst in.  
The door opened softly and a familiar tuft of pink hair popped round the corner. A small smile settled over his lips. Jongdae noted that his visitor looked unrested, his hair was slightly messy and there were hinting of dark circles under his eyes. 

"Hey, want to come up to my room? I've got something for you." Minseok asked politely. Jongdae paused his game and pushed himself off of the bed. 

"Yeah. Sure." He agreed as he followed Minseok out of the room and up to the room he'd never set foot in. The room was massive, it nearly took up its own floor; it didn't differ much from the other's rooms apart from the fact it was much cleaner.  
Jongdae noticed a small black box on the bed; Minseok headed straight for it and picked it up.   
"I got this for you seeing as it's your initiation soon." Minseok offered. Jongdae lifted the lid carefully to reveal a hand gun placed on top a black cushion.

"It's a semi-automatic. Junmyeon probably taught you the basics of using a gun but I'll make sure you'll know your way around this beauty." It was true, Junmyeon had taught Jongdae how to handle and fire a gun but he liked to have as little as possible to do with the weapons. He smiled and uttered a quick thank you before taking the box off of him and placing it on a nearby desk. 

"What does this initiation actually entail then?" Jongdae asked nervously, not sure if he wanted to know the answer. Minseok jumped onto his bed and sat up against the headboard; Jongdae clambered after him and sat in a similar position.

The pink haired male looked into Jongdae's eyes with dead seriousness. 

"You have to suck my dick."

 

Jongdae's eyes popped and his jaw dropped. He had to do what? The boy began to freak out slightly, not wanting to do what Minseok wanted of him. His panic was interrupted by a fit of light giggles coming from Minseok, he laughed insistently which confused Jongdae, was he making fun on the brunette? Laughing in his face over his discomfort?  
Between his light laughs Minseok managed to choke out a quick "I'm just fucking with you" before Jongdae hit him playfully. 

"You freaked me out! God, you are such an ass sometimes!" Minseok's laughter eventually came to a cease as Jongdae joined him. 

"Don't worry, it's only a tattoo." Minseok added slightly more seriously. The process still made Jongdae's stomach drop but it wasn't nearly as bad as the alternative.

 

The two fell into conversation, Minseok opened up a lot more about his life, how he'd gotten into the gang, and what his childhood was like which upset Jongdae. Minseok at been in a foster home since birth, only ever in and out of people's homes, never having a family of his own. In his teens he had met Kris and befriended the younger boy, the two had run away and found the abandoned apartments and eventually their numbers grew till they founded their own family. 

"We do what we need to get by. At first it was just selling a little bit of weed in alleys but now we're the biggest suppliers in this province and rich as fuck." Minseok said with a smile. 

"Your life is so interesting." Jongdae replied tiredly. "Half the things you've done I've never even dreamed about."

"You can do it all too y'know? You're part of this now." Jongdae shrugged.

"Yeah I know, I just can't help but feel like I don't belong here. I've never done anything like this before, never been in a fight, and never smoked pot. Nothing. It's just a bit much to have it all thrusted upon me so quickly and so heavily.”  
The brunette sighed. “It’s hard.” Minseok’s gaze softened, he stroked the back of Jongdae’s neck comfortingly and the two fell into a comfortable silence.

 

After two or three cigarettes, Jongdae wasn’t keeping count; he noticed the older male start to drift off on top of the sheets. Wanting Minseok to get a good night sleep Jongdae almost reluctantly woke him up.

“Hey, you should get ready for bed, you’re tired.” Jongdae murmured quietly.  
The pink haired boy nodded before pulling his shirt over his head to reveal more intricate and beautiful tattoos along his well-toned chest and stomach. The most striking was a large Chinese dragon that wound its way along his ribs and down to his belly button. Minseok ignored the younger that stared and started unbuttoning his trousers and pushing them off without getting off the bed, not surprisingly his thighs were also intricately inked. Jongdae couldn’t help but see Minseok as a beautiful canvas, something that should be shown at an art gallery.  
The younger went to stand before Minseok grabbed his wrist.

“Where are you going?”

“Oh just back down to Sehun’s room, I should get some sleep too, Tao wants me up early.” Jongdae replied. Minseok chuckled.

“You can sleep here y’know? You can have the day off; Tao won’t come in here looking for you.” Jongdae smiled before also stripping and slipping under the covers. The two fell asleep swiftly afterwards, Minseok tired from whatever it was he did during his time and Jongdae himself was exhausted from his training.

 

 

For the first time in a week Jongdae awoke when he wanted to, there was no Tao shaking him roughly, No heavy knocks from Junmyeon and no Sehun grumpily shoving him out of bed. Jongdae’s eyes didn’t open till he deemed he wanted to be conscious and start the day. As his brain came to consciousness he noted warmth that enveloped one side of his body, eyes slowly cracking open he found his chin placed upon some very familiar marshmallow pink hair. He noted the soft warm repetitious breathing that hit his throat; Minseok had his face buried in the crook of his neck.  
Both their legs were entwined and Jongdae’s arm was lazily draped across Minseok’s torso. The brunette often found himself entwined with the other boys in the morning, especially Sehun however it never made Jongdae feel so awkward. There was something about the fact that it was Minseok curled up to him which made it so odd. Ever so carefully he slowly edged away from the punk entwined with him; he pushed away from the bed and headed for the bathroom.

He noticed that Minseok had his own bathroom, downstairs the boys had to share. He started the shower and removed his boxers; stepping into the warm water he let it soak his body. The warm water pattering down onto his aching muscles felt amazing and he let out a content sigh. He stood there for several minutes just allowing himself to relax before he started to clean himself. Out of habit he sang loudly as he rubbed the shampoo into his curled brown locks, his singing was interrupted by a sudden knock on the door, a blush fled over his cheeks realising that Minseok must've heard him. 

"Hey can I just brush my teeth?" His voice called from the other side of the door. Jongdae fixed the shower curtain so there was no chance Minseok could see him and called out a quick agreement. Minseok entered and headed to the sink, Jongdae could see his silhouette tiredly fumbling with his tooth brush.  
"You're a good singer you know." Minseok added a mouth full of toothpaste.  
The brunette blushed even harder and continued washing without saying anything. As quickly as he entered, Minseok left letting Jongdae return to his privacy. The younger boy finished up with his shower and wrapped a towel around his waist when he realised that he had no clean clothes and his dirty ones were still piled by the bed.  
Awkwardly Jongdae exited the bathroom, holding the towel tightly making sure it didn't fall. 

"I haven't got any clothes." He uttered embarrassed. Minseok grinned and opened up his large wardrobe. 

"Help yourself." He invited as he grabbed an outfit of his own. Jongdae grabbed a pair of black ripped jeans and a black band tee that he had no clue who they were. Minseok chucked a pair of boxers at him and walked into the bathroom to change. Jongdae quickly slid the clothes on, he and Minseok were luckily the same size except the way that the jeans just came to his ankles due to being just that bit taller than Minseok.

 

When both were ready for the day Minseok took Jongdae out shopping to get him new furniture for his room. Jongdae spent the whole day in great gratitude at the mass amounts of money Minseok was spending on him. When the two stopped at a Thai restaurant for lunch the two continued their conversation from the night before. 

"So are you like my sugar daddy now?" Jongdae joked. Minseok chuckled.

"Don't ever call me daddy. That shits gross." He slapped Jongdae's shoulder before moving back to his food. Jongdae couldn't help but stare at the way Minseok ate, it was so elegant, from the way his nimble fingers held the chopsticks to the well he chewed delicately. 

"If you're going to get such a hard on from watching me eating, take a picture and wait till later." Jongdae was shocked by the response, looking down to his crotch to confirm that his accusation was false. 

"Wha-wha...” He stuttered; face flustered and not knowing what to say. Minseok laughed but his eyes said something different, Jongdae couldn't tell what they said but every inch of him was drawn in by that look. There was something dangerous about it but also tender, Jongdae never wanted to discover something so badly before in his life. Even as laughter faded away the look still remained which made Jongdae's stomach do backflips, he bit down on his lip nervously hoping what he wasn't feeling wasn't apparent.  
Almost immediately Minseok excused himself to the bathroom, look disappearing and clambering out of his chair almost embarrassed. Minseok being anything other than perfectly poised and elegant was odd which meant there really was something going on that Jongdae was clueless about. Seeing it as an opportunity, he felt like he had to run out on Minseok yet again. Has he quickly exited the shop he dialled Sehun's number into his phone. 

"Hey can you come pick me up?" He asked. 

"Yeah where are you?" He agreed grumpily. Jongdae gave him the quick details and walked to the pickup point that was just far enough away from the restaurant. Sehun pulled up in his sleek silver car and rolled down the window. "Get in. I don't want to get in shit with Minseok if he sees me picking you up." Jongdae quickly ushered himself into the car. 

"God that was fucking weird!" Jongdae exclaimed, swearing being something he'd been picking up off the boys.

 

After explaining everything that happened the night before, in the morning and the day following, the two found themselves back in Sehun's room. 

"From what you're saying it sounds like he wants to fuck you." Sehun stated plainly as he drew on his eyeliner. Jongdae lay on the bed flickering through the TV channels.

"Ha-ha very funny." Sehun turned to look at the brunette very seriously. 

"I'm not joking; he's never acted like this before around anyone. Except maybe if he's trying to get a freebie at the brothel."   
"Brothel?" Jongdae questioned. 

"Yeah. Brothel. Where do you think he is every night? Not even Kris 'works' that much." Sehun explained, his tongue tinged with a drop of sarcasm. Jongdae couldn't help but feel disappointed; it seems that with each encounter with Minseok he found out something that made him even less of how perfect he'd thought him to be at their first meeting. The disappointment must've been evident on Jongdae's face as Sehun marched over to the bed and pulled the elder off. 

"Take off Minseok's shitty clothes, get ready because we're going out!" 

"But Tao...” Sehun cut off Jongdae. 

"Zitao isn't in charge and Minseok said you can have the day off so we're making the most of it. I'll go get Chanyeol." As Sehun left the room Jongdae followed his orders and stripped, he left his elder's boxers on as he deemed it ridiculous to swap them. Going into Sehun's wardrobe where he had a small area of his own clothes, he grabbed his leather jacket, a flannel shirt and a ripped pair of skinny jeans.

 

  
After dressing himself, sorting his hair and adding his own makeup he exited into the hallway to meet Sehun when he bumped into exactly who he was avoiding. The first thing he noted was his abnormally large pupils, nearly as big as his iris. Minseok's brows furrowed at the sight of the taller boy but didn't say a word as he furiously scratched his arm up and down.  
The skin was going read and Jongdae saw tiny pieces of skin being scratched away. 

"Hey you shouldn't do that; you'll ruin your tattoos." Jongdae said delicately as he placed his hand upon Minseok's to stop him. Jongdae's hand was pushed away violently by the older boy. 

"Don't fucking touch me." He growled as he stared harshly at the younger boy.

"Sorry, it's just you're high an-" Jongdae started but was cut off when he realised he was on the floor his a horrendous ache on the left side of his face. Fingers tracing the sore skin he tried to process what just happened, seeing Minseok's still clenched fist and the furious look in his eyes, he put two and two together. 

 

"You punched me." Jongdae muttered. "You fucking punched me."

He said louder and angrier this time. Snapping up to his feet he swung a strong fist back at Minseok and landed it straight in his stomach. A pained grunt escaped the pink haired punks lips before he ran at Jongdae and tackled him. After fumbling with a few more stray punches and kicks, Jongdae managed to pin Minseok below him, his height being an advantage. Getting carried away with his training, Jongdae leant forward and head-butted the older man below him, only to regret it straight away.  
It wasn't like the movies at all, it hurt. The hard contact with his forehead sent nausea straight to his stomach and created a fire that raged through his brain. 

"FUCK!" He shouted as he rolled off Minseok holding his head. The elder took the opportunity and rolled on top of Jongdae and held his throat tightly. The grip wasn't nearly right enough to kill him but it was still painful as he choked for breath, clawing at the tattooed hand.

 

Minseok showed no sign of loosening his grip which made Jongdae thrash, trying to get away, the man above him clearly not in the right state of mind. He wanted to beg the older boy to get off but no words could escape his mouth. Jongdae heard shouting coming down the hallway. 

"Minseok get off!" Called Kyungsoo. Yixing and Jongin ran at Minseok and attempted to pull him off but he was resistant. Other hands grabbed at Jongdae, trying to pull him away also but they were also unsuccessful. The hands around his throat didn't loosen until a gunshot rung through everyone's ears. 

"Let go Minseok. Stand up and stop fucking embarrassing me." Kris growled angrily. As he got off of the brunette, Jongdae scrambled away to Chanyeol who stood defensively by him.  
It was the first time Jongdae had seen Kris since that night in the nightclub and the circumstances weren't great. Kris stared at Minseok before slapping across the side of the face, Minseok visibly flared up but even in his fit of anger he wouldn't dare stand up to Kris.

"Go sober up. I swear to god Minseok if I catch you high one more time after this I am going to fucking dump your ass on the street and let you live like a junkie if you so insist on being one." Minseok mumbled something under his breath in English before turning and stumbling away.

"I speak fluent English you asshole!" Kris called after him; Minseok just raised his middle finger and continued heading to his room. Kyungsoo marched over to Jongdae and began to fawn over him. 

"Are you okay? Where did he hit you? How's your throat?"

"Shut up Kyungsoo he doesn't need questions right now."

"Junmyeon can you grab the first aid kit?"

"Whoa Jongdae you really kicked his ass!" So many voices were coming at him at once, all talking and confusing Jongdae. He couldn't take any of it, unable to match voices to names in his shock. There was one voice that he could focus on however. Kris'. 

 

"I need to talk to you. Alone." At that request the others all fell deadly silent and let go of Jongdae as he followed Kris up to the top floor.


	4. Initiation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry but this chapter was written completely on my phone which means I haven't been able to check through it on proper software so I would like to apologise beforehand for any spelling mistakes and punctuation errors. There shouldn't be many but I just wanted to tell you guys as I wanted to get this chapter uploaded as soon as possible!

It turned out that Kris was not as intimidating alone as Jongdae had thought he'd be.

When first beckoned to be alone with the leader Jongdae was terrified. Frolic all the story's and warnings of Jongdae always thought it best to stay as far away from the gang leader as possible and have as little to do with him as mpossible. Of course that could only last a short while, since joining EXO all Jongdae seemed to be finding was bad luck. Jongdae's illusion couldn't have been more wrong though, after getting to the room Kris had checked the younger boy over for any serious injuries, which luckily there were none, only bruising.  
Once Kris was sure that Jongdae was okay he discussed what happened between the two, emphasised and explained Minseok's actions. Jongdae knew what Kris was saying was true, it was the cocaine that made Minseok short tempered and Violent however he didn't believe that was the only reason Minseok had attacked him. He must've been thinking about it before hand.

 

"You must stay away from him from this point onwards. I don't know exactly what's going on between you two but I'm not going to let it evolve any more." Kris stated with strong force behind his words. Jongdae nodded wordlessly, the order sent Jongdae's feeling to a complete mixture of confusion. Still full of a lot of anger from the fight he wanted nothing to do with him but at the same time his stomach sank at the idea of no longer being able to see the pink haired man that had flipped his world upside down. Kris swiftly sent Jongdae away after that. He walked down the stairs sadly, wincing occasionally at his injuries.

He headed towards Sehun's room where he found Kyungsoo, Sehun and Baekhyun sat with worried looks etched into their faces. Upon his return they fussed over him and bombarded him with questions about what happened. Jongdae explained what had happened with Kris which earned a reply from Kyungsoo. 

"Staying away from him seems best." Sehun stared at him like he had said something stupid. 

"How is that best? They obviously like each other."   
"I don't like him! Why does everyone keep saying that?!" Jongdae exclaimed. "He's just a guy!" 

"Just a guy that you rub up against at clubs and spend all day everyday talking about." Sehun replied sarcastically.   
"You do look at him very affectionately." Baekhyun added quietly. 

"Just because Minseok likes him, doesn't mean Jongdae likes him back!" Kyungsoo retaliated. Jongdae stared at them feeling left out of the conversation despite it being about him. He wanted to agree with the purple haired Kyungsoo but each time he denied feelings for Minseok he couldn't help but feel like he was lying to himself. There was a felt something around the pink haired boy that made him so happy and excited, every second with the gang member was exciting and Jongdae loved that.

He craved that rush he felt.

He loved it.

 

He loved Minseok. 

"Fuck." He groaned before flopping onto the bed and burying his face in the pillow. "I like him."

 

 

4 days past and it was finally time for Jongdae's initiation. His very first tattoo was booked for the morning and there were plans for him in the evening. It felt odd seeing only 11 of the 12 of them wishing him the best and congratulating him.  
He, Kris, Chanyeol and Luhan piled into a large Mercedes with tinted windows and drove to the tattoo parlour. His heart pounded against his chest the whole journey and even as he sat down in the chair, his nerves possessed him. Seeing as his skin was blank considered to the others, they decided that the tattoo should be larger which meant the gang's crest was going to take up a lot of his inner forearm.

The pain was much worse than he had first anticipated.

The repetitive intrusion of needles into his skin sent his teeth straight into his bottom lip where he bit it till it bled. Thankfully the logo wasn't intricate at all and only consisted of one colour so the tattoo didn't take long, only an hour and a half. Jongdae shivered as they headed back to the car, he'd refused to put on his jacket so that he could stare at the new markings on his skin. As simple and painful as it was, he loved the way the ink had settled into his skin, he understood fully what appealed to the others so much now.

The car pulled up outside the apartment complex but Kris didn't stop the engine, Chanyeol and Luhan jumped out and bided a quick good bye and wished Jongdae luck however Kris stayed long after they departed. 

"What are we waiting for?" Jongdae questioned. As the words escaped his mouth he noted that another figure was heading towards the car. The familiar pink tuft of hair slid into the front seat but didn't say a word.

 

The drive was silent for the first 10 minutes with the radio playing rock music quietly. Kris was the first to speak up. 

"You armed?" He asked Minseok. The pink haired punk nodded. 

"Make sure Jongdae is armed." He added. Minseok pulled a familiar revolver from one of his holsters and handed it to Jongdae. The brunette took the gun carefully, despite his training with them he was still very weary of the dangers of the weapon. He placed it delicately on the empty seat next to him. 

"So where are we going?" Jongdae asked nervously. 

"You're selling with Minseok. He'll show you what to do." Kris stated calmly. Jongdae began to panic when the car pulled up on a street corner by a dark alleyway. He wasn't ready for this, he was just about to be thrown into a world of drug dealing and turf wars. Minseok gracefully hopped out of the car and headed for the boot, where he pulled out two rucksacks. Grabbing his gun, he also slid out of the car. As his shaking hand shoved his gun into the waist band in the back of his trousers just as Jongin had showed him, Kris rolled down his window. 

 

"I'm allowing you to do this with Minseok because you need to learn how to deal with each other. If I hear of any fights happening again Jongdae I will not be so lenient again." Kris said in hushed tones.  
Jongdae nodded. 

"Yes Kris. Nothing will happen I promise you." Kris seemed content with the answer and rolled the window back up. Minseok closed and knocked on the boot twice, signalling that he had everything and the engine revved, leaving Jongdae alone with the pink haired man in the alley.

 

Minseok chucked one of the rucksacks at Jongdae and lit up a cigarette. The new member slung the handle over his shoulder and awaited instructions on what to do next.

"I'm gonna show you your perimeter. You move from each spot every half hour to avoid the cops. I'll show you how to sell and then I'll let you try it yourself." He instructed as he blew the smoke from his nostrils. 

"So what exactly are we selling?"

 

"Meth."

 

The bluntness of the answer caught Jongdae of guard and sent an uneasiness in his stomach. He nodded quickly and followed Minseok as he started to walk. The two walked the streets of Hongdae pretty much in silence, only talking where necessary and only to customers. Jongdae got the hang of it pretty quickly and after shifting everything in his bag, the two found themselves in another alley.

Minseok leant against a wall and stared at Jongdae intently, to the point where he began to shift from foot to food a little uncomfortably.

"You did well tonight. I knew you'd pick it up quickly." Minseok said with a slight smirk. 

"Did you really?" Jongdae questioned with a scowl. Minseok chuckled.   
"I always knew you'd be good at this. That's why I invited you."

"You didn't invite me though. You kidnapped me and threatened me. If I didn't join you were going to kill me."   
"You needed the push." Minseok argued. 

"I don't need anything from you. I had a good life before you waltzed in and fucked it up." Jongdae stated, anger growing in him. Minseok rolled his eyes and started walking slowly towards Jongdae. He didn't say anything as he got closer and closer, eventually they were as close as they had been that night in the club however there was no music to distract them from each other.

Minseok's hands shook ever so slightly as they slowly snaked their way around Jongdae's waist. He could feel his heart pounding painfully in his chest and sending heat to his cheeks. Minseok went on his tip toes and crushed his lips against Jongdae's.

Out of instinct the brunette kissed back, becoming enveloped in the affection. Minseok's arms worked their way up and his fingers interlocked in the messy brunette curls. Jongdae soon wrapped his arms around the smaller mans waist and pulled him closer so their chests were pushed together. Minseok was less desperate with his kiss and their lips slowed to a more passionate pace. Minseok pulled away with heavy breaths but still staying in his position. 

"You know I would never shoot you right?" He stated. Jongdae smirked at him as his hands trailed up the pink haired punk's toned chest. 

"You see that's where we differ." Jongdae chuckled. He quickly pulled Minseok's gun out of its holster and held it against his chest. "I'm not scared to pull the trigger so step the fuck back."

 

Minseok's expression changed to that of confusion as he slowly took a step back. 

"What are you doing?" Minseok asked angrily. 

"You have no right to just kiss me like that. None at all. I am not your little play thing and I'm not like those cheap boys you pay for at your brothels!" Jongdae shouted, frustration hitting its peak. Not wanting to continue the conversation Jongdae started walking away, hearing footsteps coming after him he turned and pointed the gun again. 

"Stay where you are asshole!" Minseok glared at him angrily but stayed still. In case he punk decided to follow him he broke into a run. When he reached the busier streets he hid Minseok's gun so he wasn't spotted with an illegal weapon. Oddly enough Jongdae realised that he wasn't too far from the club. Seeming as it was his initiation, he deemed it appropriate to go celebrate. After walking for 10 minutes, found himself outside the front door. He flashed his knew tattoo to the bouncers and he entered. It was just the same as his first time coming, the same type of music blared and as it was before the room was packed.

Heading to the bar Jongdae ordered a drink and a couple shots, he planned on getting absolutely wasted. After downing his two shots quickly he spotted a couple familiar faces on the dance floor. Drink in hand he joined Chanyeol and Baekhyun.

"Jongdae!" Chanyeol cheered drunkenly and pulled the brunette into a tight embrace. Baekhyun grinned, both his and Chanyeol's silver hair glowing in the UV light. The three danced furiously through the night and when their feet hurt from dancing they sat at the bar drinking. 

 

The night passed in a blur as Jongdae became more and more intoxicated, spending time with his ever so cheerful friends brought his mind away from Minseok completely. The three partied until the early hours of the morning when the club finally closed. They drunkingly stumbled through the streets as they tried to flag down a taxi willing to carry such drunk passengers, eventually one pulled up and they all fell into the back. Roughly 10 minutes into the drive Baekhyun fell into Chanyeol's arms and the two began to sloppily makeout.

At first Jongdae turned away, not especially appealed by the heavy public display of affection, but curiosity brought his eyes back to the two. He couldn't help but feel insanely jealous of the two, they were so free when they were together. It was like they were each other's sunshine and Jongdae wanted that in his life. He knew exactly who he wanted it with but the person who he craved the most was also his initial problem. Jongdae began to shift uncomfortably in his seat as the two became a bit more physical, obviously forgetting where they were or who they were with.

The taxi pulled up outside the apartment complex and Jongdae swiped his card to pay. They said their thank you's and began to clamber inside. Jongdae walked behind the two as they stumbled repetitively up the stairs, leaning on each other to keep each other steady. Thats what the brunette. He wanted to be able to use Minseok as support but everything about that pink haired man felt like a hideous weight slowly crushing him.

The two boys stumbled into Chanyeol's room, calling goodbyes at Jongdae as he wobbled over to his own room, however when he arrived at the door it wasn't his room. It was Minseok's.

Not bothering with knocking, the swung the door open and slid inside. Minseok was laying on his bed, cigarette in his mouth and listening to music through earphones. Upon the entrance of the younger drunk man, Minseok raised an eyebrow and pulled an ear bud out. Suprisingly he didn't look angry at Jongdae, just tired eyes with a hint of sadness.

"It's 4am, did you just get home?" Minseok asked. Jongdae chuckled and nodded. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that being there in that room whilst drunk was a hideous idea but every part of his body just needed to be gravitated around Minseok. The shorter man rose from his bed and walked over to jongdae, sliding his shoulders under Jongdae's arm.

"Lets get you to bed then, you're too drunk." He said softly and he started trying to pull Jongdae towards the door. The brunette planted his feet firmly into the ground.

"No! I don't want to." Jongdae resisted childishly. Minseok sighed, obviously tired, he gave in straight away and let go of the younger man.

"What do you want then?" he questioned. Liquid courage pumping through him Jongdae took a bold move and wrapped his arms around Minseok's waist just as he had earlier. Minseok's eyes popped at the embrace and confliction was evident in his eyes. Before he could react, Jongdae pulled the shorter man closer so their bodies were pressed together. Minseok bit his lip nervously, Jongdae could tell he wanted to but something was stopping him.

"Jongdae, you're drunk." He said barely above a whisper. The younger smirked and leant in for a quick soft kiss.

"Yeah, and you better make the most of it." Jongdae's hands slowly slid down Minseok's body and placed his hands on the punk's ass. At the movement Jongdae could practically see Minseok throwing away his morals.

 

  
Minseok pulled Jongdae into a desperate kiss, lips sliding against each other with haste. Minseok kissed like a man breathing for the first time. Jongdae slowly walked backwards, leading Minseok with him till the back of his legs hit the bed. Delicately he laid down, pulling Minseok with him. The older male hovered over him, knee between Jongdae's legs.  
Pulling Minseok deeper into the kiss Jongdae let out a little moan. Minseok's lips left Jongdae's and began to trail down his jawline and neck, earning more erratic moans from the younger. Jongdae desperately pulled the punk down, slamming their bodies together. Minseok hummed happily into Jongdae's neck as he sucked on the skin, leaving small bruises. 

"Fuck, Minseok..." Jongdae moaned as he grinded up onto the pink hair man. At the friction Minseok pulled himself away. 

"Not tonight." Minseok said seriously. Jongdae opened his mouth to protest. "I didn't say not ever. I just don't wanna do this while your drunk. I don't want you to regret it." Jongdae sighed in frustration. 

"You're so boring." Minseok chuckled before lying on the bed next to his younger. 

"We'll talk about it in the morning, yeah?" He offered to the brunette. Jongdae simply hummed in agreement before cuddling up to Minseok, placing a drunkingly sloppy kiss on Minseok's cheek, not surprisingly, Jongdae passed out before Minseok could even turn out the lamp. The two fell into a heavy slumber curled up in the bed. 

 

For the second time, Jongdae woke first however seeing the shorter man curled up in the crook of his neck didn't startle him. His head pounded but he found comfort in the warm arms wrapped around his torso. The night before only came to him in flashes, not remembering much after his arrival at the nightclub. He peered over to the alarm clock placed on the bedside table, 7am.

The others wouldn't be waking up for another hour so it was the perfect opportunity to sneak back to his own room. Squeezing Minseok tightly to wake him, the punk groaned tiredly before opening one eye to peer up at the younger man.

"I'm going back to my room, that okay?" Jongdae said softly. Minseok mumbled something that Jongdae didn't understand before rolling over and releasing Jongdae. The brunette slid out of the bed, noting that he was still fully dressed, even his shoes were still on. He took comfort in the fact and he and Minseok hadn't gone too far last night.  
Grabbing his gun from the gun which he had stupidly dropped the night before, he slid out of the room almost silently. Walking down the stairs proved a difficult task as with each step the pounding in his head got significantly worse but he persevered. When he reached the hallway on the floor that most of the boys shared, his footsteps got quieter so not to wake him. Behind him the almost silent closing of a door caught him by surprise, spinning round realising that he had been caught sneaking back to his room.

Stood outside Chanyeol's door was a shirtless Baekhyun, holding his shoes in one hand and hair looking like he'd been drug through a hedge backwards. Hangovers didn't look great on Baekhyun. At first the slender silver haired boy looked nervous but after noting that Jongdae too was in his clothes from the night before, he realised they were in the same boat.

Sneaking over to the brunette, Baekhyun grinned at him. 

"Walk of shame too huh?" Jongdae shrugged casually. 

"I guess so. I don't really remember much of last night." Jongdae admitted. 

 

"Me neither to be quite honest." The two parted ways and got back to their rooms after their short conversation. Upon returning to his room, Jongdae took off his shoes and collapsed onto his bed and fell back asleep, hoping to sleep the hangover off.


	5. Smoke Rings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again I am so sorry. This was written entirely on my phone yet again, and it hasn't been checked on proper writing software. I will be editing through it in the next couple days, I just wanted to get this chapter uploaded as soon as possible. Thank you so much for reading, it means a lot to me especially when I hear such positive feed back. Love you guys for giving me motivation to write!

The hangover still pounded through Jongdae's skull even after his additional couple hours of sleep. Yixing had awoken him softly as he had overslept. 

"Hey, we got a lesson." The low voice said just above a whisper. Jongdae nodded and slowly sat up. 

"Yeah just give me 10 minutes. Sorry." Jongdae said as he got out of bed sloppily. Yixing politely excused himself and left the room allowing Jongdae to get ready. The lesson went quickly, Jongdae really saw himself picking up the new language, Yixing said that it wouldn't be long till he was nearly fluent. Jongdae didn't see Minseok at all the morning, the pink haired man was probably off working on something with Kris after all.

 

Over the day more of the night came back to Jongdae, like how he'd turned up at Minseok's door and how he'd been the first to kiss but everything else was more or less a missing piece. Hours passed slowly for Jongdae as he wished away the minutes until he could see Minseok again, it was too much like a school boy crush but he didn't care. In the evening Jongdae found himself in Sehun's room. 

"I mean like, I feel like it's going somewhere now." Jongdae stated. Sehun rolled his eyes. 

"He kissed you, you held a gun at him and then got so drunk that you went back to his room and tried to fuck him. How is that going anywhere?" Sehun asked with a strong sarcastic edge on his words. 

"You totally just phrased that all badly, now you're just being an ass." 

"So I'm an ass for telling you how it is? Look, the way I see it, he beat the shit out of you and tried to kill you. No matter how many times he tries to kiss you, he's still a pile of shit no matter how many sprinkles you put on it. If I were you I would've smothered him in his sleep." Sehun growled. Jongdae had known that Sehun had been slightly spiteful about Minseok after the fight but he had no idea it was this bad. 

 

Jongdae dropped the subject all together after that and Sehun started playing his music loudly. The two played on Sehun's play station in more or less silence except from the music for a while before Jongdae started to quietly sing along to the music. The brunette presumed that his voice would've been drowned out by the heavy drums and guitars but Sehun still heard him. 

"System of a Down fan, are we?" Sehun asked with a smirk. 

"You play them so much and they have really interesting voices. I guess you can say they've grown on me."   
"Your English is good." Sehun stated half distracted by the screen. 

"Yeah my parents made me go to private school. Learnt English there. I don't remember much but I can kinda understand it if I hear it." Jongdae shared, flushing at the feeling of boasting slightly. 

"Don't tell Kris you speak English, he'll make you do all sorts of shitty jobs." Sehun warned. The two played their game until the two died, luckily at that time Kyungsoo had poked his head round the door to say that Junmyeon had cooked for everyone.

Excitedly the younger boys quickly ran from the room and headed for the kitchen and dining room a floor below. At the table Baekhyun was already sat stuffing his face with the mass amount of food. Jongdae hadn't seen this much food in years, a banquet for 12 people although to Jongdae it seemed like it could feed 100. Junmyeon came in through the door holding a meat dish of some sort and smiled at the two. 

"Glad you came up!" He said with a thankful tone. 

"It's our pleasure, the food looks amazing!" Jongdae replied.   
"Yeah thanks dad!" Baekhyun piped up happily, spitting his food slightly with his words. 

 

More of the boys filtered in over the next half hour, even Kris had joined them. Sat speaking to Luhan, Jongdae couldn't help but notice that Minseok wasn't at the table. He tried to push the thought aside but it remained in the back of his mind at all times. The others were stuffed to the point of explosion very quickly however Jongdae just couldn't stop eating, the food was just so good.

After taking a spoonful of (delicious) soup, the familiar face of Minseok, however he looked entirely different. Upon the entrance Jongdae choked slightly on his soup which earned him a hard stare from Sehun and a wiggle of the eyebrows from Baekhyun. The messy pink hair that Jongdae was so used to was replaced by a dark mixture of various purples and black. The sides and back of his head had been shaved into an undercut that suited him so well. The hair on top was not its usual messy gelled style, this time it was a sleek do that gave him a sophisticated look.

The new addition to Minseok's look that Jongdae liked the most were the circle framed glasses that sat delicately on his nose. Minseok looked like a completely different person, if not for the familiar tattoos Jongdae wouldn't have recognised him at all. 

"Sorry I'm late, looks like I missed out on most of the food." Minseok said in his sleek voice. 

"Oh there's plenty left providing Jongdae decides to finally stop shoving it all down his throat." Yixing joked with a happy smile. Minseok chuckled and his eyes flickered to the brunette, sending shivers down the younger boys spine. 

"What's with the new hair?" Luhan asked curiously.  
Minseok shrugged. 

"Felt like a change. It got boring." The group accepted the answer and everyone returned to their conversations and picking at the left overs on their plate. Sehun excused himself from the table saying that he was too full and the sight of the food was too tempting, this left an empty space next to Jongdae which Minseok gracefully sat on the floor next to him. The older man filled a plate with whatever was left before turning to Jongdae. 

"How's your head?" He asked. 

"It's okay I guess. It was hell this morning." Jongdae admitted quietly. 

"What are you doing tonight?"

"Uh. Nothing. I don't really wanna go out though." Jongdae replied truthfully. Minseok smiled.   
"Wanna watch a movie then? I have a few American ones you may not have seen yet?" The purple haired man offered. Jongdae accepted the invitation before returning to his plate which was soon to be empty. 

 

The other boys all slowly filtered away from the room, leaving Jongdae, Minseok and Junmyeon alone. 

"Oh they'll eat my food but won't clean up. Great." He sighed, Jongdae didn't think he meant to say the words aloud. 

"I'll help you." Jongdae offered. Junmyeon thanked him gracefully before starting to gather up some plates. Jongdae stood and began to help the elder man, as he worked his away around the table he couldn't help but notice the way Minseok held his chopsticks so elegantly, his long slender fingers gripping the sticks almost effortlessly. His eyes trailed up to the mans lips, watching the way he took small bites and licked the sauce away causing Jongdae's mind to wonder to what else Minseok's tongue could do. He tried to shake the thoughts from his mind but they only worsened when he saw Minseok's eyes trail up and look at him in depth.

Jongdae felt his heart race faster at the look and quickly ran off to the kitchen. Taking a quick moment to compose himself, he got back to shoving the plates into the dishwasher and started cleaning the kitchen, not wanting to go back out to Minseok. The mess looked bigger than it actually was which meant the job was done quicker than expected. Minseok stood waiting for Jongdae in the next room.

He still couldn't get used to the new look that Minseok was rocking. 

 

"Wanna have that talk now?" Minseok asked softly. Jongdae bit his lip hesitantly before agreeing. The two didn't say a word till they reached the privacy of Minseok's bedroom walls. Kicking off his shoes, Jongdae sat cross legged on Mindeok's bed, looking up at his elder with innocent eyes. 

"Last night..uh.." Minseok trailed off, not knowing where to start. "Do you remember any of it?" 

"Most of it. I have some black spots but I remember most of it." Jongdae replied truthfully.   
"So you remember coming here?" 

"Well yeah.." Jongdae trailed off. "I remember us kissing. A lot." Minseok nodded.   
"And was it just a drunk thing? Because you pretty clearly rejected me earlier that night." He asked, his voice slightly wavering. 

"To be completely honest, I don't know. I mean I like you, way too much. But I hate the way you treat me half the time, like I'm a prize to be won in some kind of game you're playing. I guess the alcohol just gaveq me some courage." The brunette confessed, nervous butterflies fluttering around in his stomach. Minseok sat on the bed next to the brunette and leant his head on the taller boy's shoulder. 

"I'm sorry. For everything. I knew from the very first moment I saw you behind that coffee counter that I just wanted to be with you and when you ran away that first night I panicked, I knew I wanted you and I couldn't let you get away so I tried to force you." There was a sadness in Minseok's tone that filled Jongdae with guilt.   
"You should've just let me come to you. I would've come back, I know I would've."  
Jongdae leant to the side and placed a soft kiss on the top of Minseok's head. The brunette found Minseok's hand and entwined their fingers together. The two stayed like that for a long time, in a comfortable silence, their palms touching being the only communication they needed. Jongdae was the first to break the silence. 

"Wanna start over?" He asked softly. Minseok looked up at him like he'd just been offered a billionaire status. 

"You'd let that happen?" Jongdae hummed in agreement with a small smile. Minseok squeezed his hand in excitement. 

 

Minseok jumped off the bed but kept hold of Jongdae's hand with a fanged grin. 

"Well as we're starting over, I'd like this opportunity to ask you out on a date." He offered happily. 

"A date? Sure. Where?" Jongdae agreed. 

"Let me surprise you!" Minseok exclaimed as he pulled Jongdae eagerly out of the room. The two left the apartment block in an almost run. The two jumped into Minseok's car excitedly and the purple haired man started the engine. The radio blared out some more upbeat punk rock, the two sung along happily as Minseok navigated his way through the streets of Seoul. It wasn't long till Minseok pulled up outside a large shopping complex the looked empty, with lights beginning to dim.   
"It's 10pm. I doubt if we're gonna be able to shop." Jongdae said.

Minseok chuckled at the comment. 

"We're not shopping. We're gonna see a movie." He corrected. The two stood out in the cold while Minseok had a quick cigarette, before heading into the complex. The two giggled and laughed as they headed up the escalator, all thoughts of their past together thrown aside. Minseok bought their tickets and their snacks, insisting that the date was his idea and therefore he should pay, as generous as the offer was, Jongdae had never been fond of people splashing their cash for him. He had to admit though, there was something unbelievably sexy about the way Minseok just bought him things. Slipping his arm around Minseok's waist, he leaned over and whispered into the shorter mans ear. 

"I guess you really are my sugar daddy after all." Minseok hit him half playfully and half seriously. 

"I swear to god if you call me daddy again I'm going home and leaving you here. It's so cringe!" He exclaimed. The two entered the nearly empty movie theatre, there were a few other couples in the seats but the choice of seat was up to the two who just entered.  
The two sat between the middle and the back, a whole row to themselves. Minseok had chosen a new horror which Jongdae couldn't find scary in the slightest. The low budget gore and effects were humorous to him if anything. 

 

From the look on Minseok's face as his eyes were glued to the screen, he didn't find the horror effective either. Despite the disappointment of the movie, Jongdae enjoyed being in Minseok's presence despite the lack of talking and the occasional contact when going for pop corn at the same time. The movie wasn't long and soon the two found themselves in a take out, collecting a pizza.

 

Minseok drove them up to a nearby park, that was pretty much empty at this time of night. The two sat underneath a large tree which branches nearly covered the night sky but allowed a few stars to twinkle through between the leaves. Jongdae had to admit that his surroundings were very romantic. The two dug into their pizza hungrily, Jongdae eating most as Minseok was still full from their large meal earlier that day. 

"You eat a lot don't you?" Minseok stated curiously. Jongdae nodded with a mouthful of pizza. 

"My mother always found it a difficult task to get me full." He replied after swallowing. The purple haired elder poked at the younger's stomach teasingly. 

"And yet you're so skinny. Do tell me your secret." 

"You're asking me about my body? I'm sorry, is the 6-pack not working for you?" Jongdae asked sarcastically with a wide smile. 

"It took a lot of work to get this sexy I'll have you know!" Minseok joked as he wrapped an arm around Jongdae, pulling him close. Jongdae stared up at the night sky, enveloped in Minseok's warmth. He found comfort in just being in the elder's arms, he just felt safe and protected from whatever was out there in the world. Jongdae looked up at Minseok lovingly. 

"Can I have a kiss?" He asked innocently. Minseok smiled down at him. 

"With all that food round your mouth? No way?" He chuckled. Instinctually Jongdae wiped his mouth quickly, feeling slightly embarrassed. Minseok's fingers pulled the brunette's chin up towards him. 

"I was just joking." He said before kissing him softly and slowly. Jongdae could honestly admit that in that moment he felt nothing but happiness and content. There was no thoughts of the gang, his life or their past in his head, just Minseok right then in that moment. 

"I'm so glad you gave us a chance." Minseok muttered softly. Jongdae smiled sincerely. 

"So am I." 

 

  
The two were back in the car when Jongdae brought up Minseok's new look. 

"You know those glasses make you look so fucking sexy right?" Minseok chuckled over the music. 

"Maybe I'll wear them more often then." Minseok said in a low voice. Soon enough Jongdae found himself being slammed into his bed room wall with Minseok's lips furiously attacking his neck and collarbone. The brunette's fingers wound themselves into Minseok's hair, brushing against the short undercut. The brunette let out a soft moan as Minseok sucked on Jongdae's neck, leaving a trail of small bruises. 

 

"Fuck, you're so hot when you moan like that." Minseok panted against Jongdae's olive skin. The elder placed his thigh between Jongdae's legs and began to rub his leg against Jongdae's already half erect shaft. The sudden contact earned a small whimper from the younger man as he pulled Minseok closer.

Their lips met hastily and locked into a sloppy wet kiss, Jongdae occasionally pulling on Minseok's lip ring between his teeth. Jongdae was lost in the ecstasy of moment as Minseok's hands trailed up his body under the shirt, taking a moment to run his thumb over Jongdae's hardened nipples. Jongdae buried his face in the crook Minseok's shoulder, and bit down on the skin harshly, to stop himself from yelling out from the overbearing arousal that shook through his body.

 

The bite caused a loud desperate moan to escape Minseok's lips. 

 

"Ah...fuck....do it again." He growled in a low animalistic voice. Jongdae complied immediately, sinking his teeth into the flesh of Minseok's neck. The older man's hips bucked into Jongdae from the action, the brunette smirked at the reaction, glad he'd found something that unwound Minseok so well.

Minseok trailed kisses down Jongdae's body until he as on his knees kissing around Jongdae's belly button. The though of how close Minseok was to his lower region sent Jongdae crazy, but Minseok went slow, teasing the younger. Very slowly Minseok unbuttoned the younger boys trousers and pulled them down, allowing Jongdae's erection to sit prominently in his boxers.

Minseok looked up at the him with wide eyes and a smirk on his lips, heavy warm breathes teasing Jongdae's erection. Through the boxers, Minseok wrapped his mouth around the head, saliva seeping through the material. His tongue flicked the slit softly, causing Jongdae's knees to buckle. 

"M-Minseok...please." Jongdae begged through harsh breaths. Minseok complied to the brunettes desperate pleads by sliding Jongdae's boxers down his thighs, freeing his erection from the fabric. Pumping the shaft with his hand, Minseok looked up at Jongdae yet again, pushing his glasses up with his free hand. 

"You look so perfect like this." He purred before sliding his tongue along the whole length. Not teasing the younger man any longer, Minseok engulfed Jongdae's cock into his mouth. The brunette's back arched in pleasure, pushing more of his length inside Minseok's warm mouth. The older man began to bob his head, sliding the flat of his tongue along the underside of Jongdae's penis. The pleasure that filled Jongdae's every nerve was overbearing, sending him into hot sweats as his body trembled. He clawed at Minseok's hair in a passionate frenzy, locking his fingers tightly in the soft purple strands. 

 

Jongdae couldn't get over how attractive Minseok looked down on his knees, lips darkened, wet from saliva and his cheeks hollowed out as he moved his head. What got to Jongdae the most was the way Minseok's glasses had steamed up. The was just something so unbelievably arousing about that one simple thing. Jongdae, lost in the pleasure that misted his mind, began to thrust ever so slightly. Eventually getting deeper and deeper, expecting to hear a slight gagging that would come from Minseok when he went too far but none came.

Pulling away, Minseok smirked slightly. 

"No gag reflex." He rasped through slightly swollen lips. Jongdae had never been so turned on as he had in that one moment, the idea of being deep throated by Minseok nearly made his knees give way below him. As if he read his thoughts, Minseok took all of his length into his mouth, taking him in his throat. 

"Fuck." Jongdae cursed in pure ecstasy. Grabbing Minseok's hair roughly he began to push down his head repeatedly, feeling his whole cock in the wet warmth. Minseok knew exactly how to undo him and Jongdae felt himself getting closer and closer, he couldn't stop the low moans and groans that came from his throat. That's when he noticed that Minseok's hand was on his own cock, pumping it fast and rough.  
That was enough to send Jongdae over the edge. 

"I'm-gonna..ugh." He choked as the orgasm rippled through him. Minseok swallowed his load with a smile turning up the corner of his lips. Minseok got to his feet and kissed Jongdae furiously, allowing Jongdae to taste himself on Minseok's tongue. Jongdae's hand trailed down and met Minseok's and began to pump for him. The touch of his rough hands had Minseok panting quickly, Jongdae began to nibble on Minseok's pierced ear which only earned him more verbal responses.

The way Minseok cursed repeatedly just got under Jongdae's skin, causing every inch of him to tingle. It wasn't long until Minseok reached his orgasm too, messily staining Jongdae's shirt and his own with his cum. 

 

It took them both a while to catch their breath, leaning on each other whilst gaining their strength back. When Minseok pulled away, his glasses were still fogged up which caused Jongdae to giggle slightly. Gently he pulled them off Minseok's face and folded them, sliding them into Minseok's chest pocket. 

"That was..... so good." Jongdae said, smile still shining brightly. 

"Yeah it was. Can't believe that actually happened." Minseok replied sheepishly, a slight blush gracing his cheeks. 

"Stop blushing. You'll make me fall for you harder." Jongdae said with adoration in his voice. The two got themselves back into their boxers before heading over to Jongdae's bed. The brunette rid himself of the dirty shirt and sat on the bed. 

"Spread your legs." Minseok ordered, standing at the side of the bed. Jongdae looked up at him in disbelief. 

"We just went! I am not going to be able to go again! Jesus Minseok!" He exclaimed. The purple haired man rolled his eyes. 

"Not like that you dirty fucker. I want to sit there." At this Jongdae complied and opened his legs, allowing Minseok to slide between, lying his back along Jongdae's stomach. Their height was a perfect match as Jongdae was able to rest his chin on Minseok's head. 

"What time is it?" Minseok asked quietly, checking his watch Jongdae want ahead and told him it was 3:38 am. 

"I guess there's no point in sleeping then?" Minseok suggested. The brunette shrugged in agreement, happy to do an all nighter with his new lover. 

 

 

When the sun finally rose, the two had done more in one night than Jongdae usually got done in a week. He had tried his first cigarettes, which admittedly was an embarrassing experience for him, Jongdae had orgasmed a total of 3 times that night thanks to Minseok and his wondering hands. The two played games, watched TV, sung and play fought.  
Honestly Jongdae had never been on such a perfect date before in his life and it was all thanks to Minseok. Which each passing second, Jongdae fell more and more for the purple haired punk that had stormed his way so aggressively into his life. It was so odd to Jongdae that one day could change his thoughts of someone and his future so much. Before he couldn't imagine more than being found in a morgue, fearing that this gang would be the death of him, but after one day with Minseok, his future seemed so much brighter.

He saw himself improving his skills. He saw an adventure in his future, a chance to be as badass as he could, to become important in EXO and all of it was seen with Minseok by his side. Jongdae puffed on his cigarette lightly, allowing the thick smoke to flood down to his lungs, the harsh sting in his throat feeling good to him. He still choked on the smoked and coughed but he couldn't remember how many cigarettes he had had that night and he was getting used to it.

The smoke still gave him the light headedness but he found it enjoyable. He watched as Minseok blew small smoke rings toward the ceiling, lips turning up affectionately in the corner.

 

Jongdae had never felt so content as he had in that one moment.


	6. Pay up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jongdae manages to fuck up his life completely but that good as long as he protects his loved ones? Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again this was written on my phone and unedited sorry for any mistakes. 
> 
> This chapter had A LOT of inspiration from music so I made a playlist of songs that I listened to whilst writing. I'm gonna warn you those that next to all of the songs are explicit and one or two may be triggering. If you are easily triggered do not listen to last resort by papa roach. http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcCVPCKV3xVleaVkjiZqEJPdxYPejv6-H

Months past and Jongdae only found himself getting happier and happier.

At first the two had attempted to sneak around and keep their relations a secret but realising that everyone pretty much knew, except Luhan which Minseok had to awkwardly break the news to, they became relatively open about their relationship. Luckily the boys had been happy to accept their new relationship, some more willingly than others, even Kris had learnt to accept it with little persuasion. Apart from his newfound affection for the shorter man, Jongdae had been working much more and getting very good at what he did. He often shifted his whole batch in one night or two, which often impressed their leader.

Jongdae was bringing in a lot of money for Kris which meant that Jongdae was only getting richer and richer. The gang was changing Jongdae for the better, he was more daring, more willing to do whatever it takes. He'd even gotten a few additional piercings, 4 in fact. A small ring sat in the side of his nose, a vertical lebret graced his lips, turning a sweet smile into a more dangerous curl of the lips.  
The other two were much more secretive, both located on his chest where two little bars poked out from both nipples. It wasn't until he'd gotten the body modifications that he realised why exactly everyone in EXO had such untouchable demniours, the tattoos and piercings just gave him such a sense of strength and power. He felt like he could do anything because he was his own man. 

The sounds of the city flooded Jongdae's ears as he strolled the cold streets, finding it hard to tell the difference between his cigarette smoke and his breath evaporating. He'd managed to shift about half his batch that night and had a fortune in his backpack which he clung to tightly, just as the others had instructed. His pace was fast, moving from spot to spot in the area that EXO controlled, passing buildings that Kris owned and companies that owed him. It was amazing when Jongdae actually thought about how far their web went.  
Jongdae hopped impatiently in his spot as he waited, this place was particularly popular for dealing and it was his last spot. Jongdae eagerly awaited customers, wanting to go home quickly and have that movie night that Minseok had promised. Glancing down at his watch to check the time, 1:25 am, a pair of footsteps caught his attention. A bald man in a black jacket was approaching him, must've been in his mid 40's, it was the usual kind of person that sought crystal meth in dark alley ways in early hours of the morning. 

"Can you set me up?" The man asked in a low, rough voice. Jongdae's eyes flickered up the male, checking him over for anything suspicious. He asked for the money up front, he wasn't going to be cheaped out of anything. 

"That's fucking pricey!" The man moaned. Jongdae rolled his eyes. 

"Pay up or fuck off. It's good shit and I'm not taking any less." He snapped, growing impatient of how long this was taking.  
The man dove into his pocket and grabbed a wad of rolled up notes. Jongdae, with the baggie in hand, shook hands with the man, swapping the drugs for the money inconspicuously. The man glanced down at the bag, staring at its contents before pulling an odd device from his other pocket. Before Jongdae could react electricity shook thorough his body in a horrendous pain that had him shouting out and falling to the floor violently. At first he thought he was being mugged but when the flash of a silver badge was shoved in his face he realised that it was much worse. 

 

"You are under arrest asshole." The officer growled.

Fear took a hold of Jongdae's soul but the shock from the taser made it difficult to fight back against the handcuffs that dug into the bone of his wrists. He couldn't fight back. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't find the strength to thrash against the officer who was dragging him away to a inconspicuously placed police car parked not far away from the alley way.  
Jongdae's breath was heavy and heart was frantic as he sat in the back of the car, hands still restrained. He held back the overwhelming emotions that shook through his body, not allowing him self to look any weaker than he already did. He wasn't handled any better upon arrival to the station, he was roughly pulled from the car where he was stripped and searched. He had never felt humiliation like this before in his life. When the officers were certain that he had no more contraband on him, they shoved him into a public cell with lots of other men who looked more burly then him. Fear consumed the small framed man, as he sat awkwardly on a bench, eyes constantly flickering for threats. 

 

Hours passed into the late morning but Jongdae did not sleep a second, too scared to close his eyes for a second. There was no windows in the cell, not allowing a single drop of natural light to enter, giving Jongdae a dysphoria of time. After what seemed like an eternity of waiting he finally mustered enough courage to call over an officer. 

"Can I please have my call?" He begged weakly, hoping the officer had at least a smidgen of empathy. Surprisingly the officer allowed it and lead Jongdae to a small booth where the officer stood outside. With shaking fingers, Jongdae punched in a familiar number and brought the handset to his ear, each ring taunting him. Seemingly not soon enough a croaky 'hello' came. 

"Holy shit Minseok. I haven't got long but I'm in jail. Please help me." Jongdae said frantically, voice breaking. 

"Jail? Fuck. Okay. Uh, I'll get Kris. Have they hurt you? Are you okay?" Minseok replied in a rush. 

"Yeah I'm fine. Just a strip search but they took all our shit! Please get me out of here." He whimpered into the phone weakly.  
"You'll be okay. We're gonna bail you out don't worry." Minseok comforted but Jongdae found no comfort in the words. It was just an empty promise to him. He opened his mouth to speak when the officer came closer. 

"Times up." He said strictly, Jongdae nodded.  
"I gotta go. My times up. Please help me." 

"I will! Just don't say anything in questioning okay?" The officers hand came to the phone and hung up for him.

Jongdae was lead to small room with two chairs and a table. The room was brightly lit which hurt his eyes at first.  
"Take a seat." The officer ordered, cuffing Jongdae to the table as he sat down. It wasn't long till a man in a suit entered the room and sat across from Jongdae. He wasn't especially intimidating, in fact he seemed like a warm person but Jongdae still felt uneasy in his presence. 

"My name is Yoseob, you are...?" He asked politely. 

"Chen." The brunette replied quietly. 

"Okay Chen, do you know why you were taken into custody last night?" Jongdae nodded but didn't want to say a word just as Minseok had instructed.  
"You were caught dealing illegal drugs, you had a ridiculous amount of illegal contraband on you, including money and you were armed with illegal weapons. Now they are some pretty serious charges aren't they?" 

"Yeah." 

"Who's your supplier?" Yoseob questioned slightly more seriously. 

"I don't know." Jongdae replied. Yoseob didn't seem satisfied at all with the brunette's answer but he persisted. Asking question after question for hours, earning very vague short sentences from Jongdae. Most of the questions Jongdae was able to feign ignorance but a lot he genuinely didn't know the answer. 

"Look Chen, from what I've gathered here today I know your position. You met some cool guys, they were fun to hang out with, they taught you how to fight and got you money. All they wanted for it was your loyalty and to you it seemed like an easy deal but now here you are sitting in jail because you're selling meth." Yoseob leant back in his chair. "I know exactly about how these gang operations work and I want you to know we can help you. Just tell me the right names and you can leave this whole thing behind you." Jongdae stared at him hard. Yoseob wanted him to rat out the rest of EXO just so Jongdae could be free, that was an incredibly stupid idea. 

"They'll kill me." Jongdae stated in a monotone voice. 

"Come on. Just one name. Anyone." Yoseob practically begged him. Jongdae hesitated for a second, contemplating what to do next.

"Only one name and I'm free to go?" He asked cautiously. Yoseob nodded. 

"Just one and I'll escort you outside right now." Yoseob promised with sincere eyes. Jongdae bit his lip. 

"Okay. Kim Jongdae. He's the leader." he replied quietly.  
Yoseob wrote the name down hastily and smiled up at Jongdae, walking over to the young man he uncuffed him and shook his hand. 

"Thank you. You've done the city a great service." Yoseob said. Jongdae simply nodded weakly, ignoring the words realising what he'd just done. 

 

Yoseob kept to his word and escorted Jongdae to the front desk where he retrieved some of his confiscated items like his phone, luckily he didn't have his wallet with all his Identification and cards inside. Outside Jongdae managed to beg around the public for just enough money to use a pay phone. Using the outdated machine, he called up Sehun who hastily came to pick him up, although Jongdae made sure Sehun didn't tell anyone that he was getting Jongdae. The brunette refused to talk to Sehun for the whole journey which only worried the younger boy more.

 

  
Upon arriving home Jongdae managed to sneak inside and up to his room without anyone noticing. Grabbing a couple bags, Jongdae began to fill them full of his essentials, anything that he could carry, clothes, toothbrush, shoes, personal items.  
Finding his wallet he opened it up to see that it was pitifully empty. Seeing no option, he ran up to Minseok's room silently, peering around the door he saw that the room was empty. Taking the opportunity, Jongdae slid inside and began searching for Minseok's wallet. Finding it in a pair of discarded trousers on the floor, Jongdae took all the money inside which thankfully was a lot. He felt awful for stealing from someone who cared so much for him but it was important, he had to get away. Just when he'd thought he'd gotten away with it, Minseok entered the room.

He looked a mess, heavy dark bags under his eyes from obvious lack of sleep, his usually well groomed hair was a knotted mess upon his head, glasses wonkily sat on his nose. A black eye that sported the same colour as his purple hair made Jongdae's stomach drop, he had no idea how he'd gotten it but he just knew it was something to do with him. 

"You're here!" Minseok exclaimed with a smile gracing his lips. His smile quickly changed to a confused frown. "How'd you get out without bail? And why do you have my money?" Jongdae swallowed a lump in his throat, knowing that he was going to have to lie his way out of this.  
Minseok didn't rush to Jongdae and embrace him, instead he stood deadly still, keeping his distance which put Jongdae so on edge. 

"They let me go." Jongdae said, voice breaking and betraying him.

"They wouldn't have just let you go? You had meth and a gun..." He could see the cogs turning in Minseok's mind as he began to figure out what had happened. His eyes opened wide when he realised. 

"You fucking named someone?!" He whispered. Jongdae couldn't deny it and he nodded sadly. The brunette expected a strong burst of anger but none came, instead a heartbreaking sadness consumed Minseok's features.

"Who was it?" He asked quietly. 

 

"I can't say." Jongdae replied just as weakly. Minseok looked up at him, so many emotions flickering through his watered eyes, betrayal, sadness, relief, love and heartbreak. 

"Please don't leave." He whimpered. The sentence ripped Jongdae to shreds, he wanted so badly to close the space between them and apologise until his lungs ran out of air but he couldn't. He just couldn't.  
Taking a deep breath, hardened his expression and stared down Minseok, forcing harshness into his eyes.  
"You can't stop me from leaving." The older man's shoulders began to shake slightly and the tears he was so reluctant to let go off began to roll down his cheeks, fogging up his crooked glasses slightly. 

"B-but I... love you" Minseok admitted quietly, not looking at the younger and clearly struggling not to sob uncontrollably on the spot.  
The statement ripped at Jongdae's chest violently, it was the first time Minseok had uttered the words. It took every thing out of Jongdae to say the lies that were about to leave his lips, wishing that he didn't have to say them at all. 

"Yeah well, I don't love you." The words came out harsher than he ever intended but he couldn't take them back. 

 

Jongdae had never intentionally hurt someone like this before in his life but his words made his heart heavy and his throat hurt. He couldn't believe that he was doing this but it was necessary, the police were going to be looking out for Jongdae now and he couldn't risk staying here. He couldn't risk leading the police right to Minseok and the others. 

"I'm going now." Jongdae said strongly, hiding all his feelings. Minseok made no attempt to stop Jongdae or take back his money, he only stood there idly, crying silently as his heart broke in two. The brunette slid past quickly, escaping the room as quickly as possible.

 

It wasn't till he was halfway down the hall when he heard thunderous crashes and glasses being smashed. Jongdae's quick walk turned into a sprint as he legged it down the stairs and into his room. Grabbing all of his bags quickly, he burst out his room, running past the boys. It wasn't long until he was on the busy streets of Hongdae. He felt his phone vibrating in his pocket insistently, checking the ID he saw it was Kyungsoo, reluctantly he rejected the call and kept walking.  
He found his way to the subway and bought a ticket for the furthest away part of Seoul, somewhere where he didn't know anyone, somewhere where he didn't know himself. He searched high and low for a cheap hotel where he couldn't blow all of his money in an instant but none of them met his needs. The sun began to fade away and the night rolled in, leaving a cold chill on Jongdae's skin. Slumping to the ground in a dark alleyway, he sat and smoked away what he had left in his packet. In that alleyway alone, he finally allowed his tears to flow, rendering him a sobbing mess. He eventually tired himself out, the early morning, running and constant walking finally getting to him and it wasn't long until he slowly fell asleep on the dirty ground. 

 

Life on the street taught Jongdae how lucky he'd been through out his life, he'd taken the basic necessities for granted like food, water, warmth and hygiene. Especially in EXO he had everything he could've needed and money to spare for years to come but that luxury was gone now. Now he begged on the street, stole from stores and slept with the dumpsters. Everyday his thoughts lingered solely on the constant regret he felt for messing up his own life like this, he even often thought that accepting his punishment and going to prison was better than this but he couldn't turn himself in.  
If he did everything he said to Minseok would still linger and not fix anything. Running away wouldn't mean a thing if he just turned himself in. His new life was tough. He accepted the fact that he couldn't work under his name, he couldn't stay anywhere, he just had to wait for everything to calm down so he could start up a new life. 

 

A year passed and Jongdae worked his ass off to try and make a living, working himself to the bone, doing crappy cash in hand kitchen jobs, even selling himself on street corners.

It took him a couple months but eventually he worked his way into a relatively well off brothel but even there he didn't get many customers. There were so many types of people in the brothel, Jongdae had made friends with a English man called Michael, he was especially popular with the customers due to his skin colour. Jongdae mainly kept to bar work, keeping customers drunk and jolly but on the occasion, he found himself on all fours with a man slowly scraping away at Jongdae's pride.  
He didn't enjoy his lifestyle but he did what he needed to get by, the brothel offered him a roof over his head and an income that kept him alive so he stuck at it. EXO became a distant memory with only his tattoo as a reminder of those days.  
He had pushed the boys out of his mind and shut off his emotions, only pondering on them after a quick line of white powder off of the bar top. Jongdae had become a quick acquaintance with drugs when he started his life on the streets, wasting away his only money on getting a high that he craved. The brothel was busy that night, full of men sipping their drinks and splashing their money, it wasn't surprising when Michael approached him. 

"Chen, you have a client in the blue room upstairs." He informed quickly before disappearing with an older man trailing behind him like a lost puppy dog. 

He bit down on his lip ring before quickly retreating to the bathroom. He gave himself a quick once over, checking his appearance. His eyes were dark and sunken in, the dark eyeliner he wore didn't help with that either.

His high cheek bones were more prominent than usual and his skin was pale. He looked horrible. There was nothing he could do about it though so he quickly brushed his teeth and pinched his cheeks hard, giving himself a red flush.

He quickly left the bathroom with a forced smile, gracefully slipping past customers who groped him in a disgusting manner. He made his way hastily to the blue room and slipped inside. The customer had his back to Jongdae, showing only his jet black hair which was slightly spiked. The man lifted up a silver flask and took a large gulp before slipping the flask away. Jongdae broke the silence, not sure if the customer had heard him enter. 

"Hello, I'm Chen." He said in a smooth tone. He watched as the man's muscles tensed, a small worry settled in Jongdae's stomach. Why was man so tense about his name? The dark haired man turned slowly and stared at Jongdae. At the sight of his face Jongdae couldn't breathe. Stood before him was familiar piercings, familiar tattoos, a familiar face. 

 

"Jongdae?" Minseok breathed in disbelief. 

 

Jongdae couldn't move. His voice was completely caught in his throat, unable to make a sound, not that he knew what to say. Minseok just stared at him which set him even more on edge. 

"Minseok.." Jongdae choked out. A small speck of jealousy sat in Jongdae as he stared at his ex lover, why was he here? Wanting to sleep with other people. He tried his best to push those thoughts aside, he and Minseok were a thing of the past after all. 

"W-what are you doing here?" Minseok stuttered, surprise still apparent in his face. Jongdae couldn't help but roll his eyes at the obvious answer of that question. 

"Working. Obviously." He replied, trying his hardest to keep a cool exterior, he didn't want Minseok knowing that his presence affected the brunette. Minseok's eyes trailed away from Jongdae to the floor. The awkwardness that filled the room was too much for Jongdae and he wanted a quick exit. 

"I'll go get someone else for you.." He suggested about to turn to leave but a tight grip on his wrist stopped him.  
"No!" Minseok said almost too desperately. 

"Well then let's get on with it." Jongdae said in a dull voice, just wanting this situation to end as soon as possible. 

 

"Who did you name?" The raven haired man asked, completely ignoring what Jongdae just said. "The police never came. No one did so who did you name? Please tell me." Jongdae bit on his lip nervously.  
"I named myself." He admitted. Minseok at first looked confused but then looked like he'd just been punched in the gut. 

"You named yourself? You didn't need to take that bullet!" Minseok exclaimed as he edged closer to Jongdae, pulling him into an embrace. As much as the brunette wanted to wrap his arms around the smaller frame tightly, he refused. 

"I'm not being paid to hug you." He gritted his teeth, to which Minseok pulled away quickly. 

"I'm not paying you. You're coming home with me." He insisted. Jongdae chuckled slightly. 

"You think that just by turning up here and prying an answer out of me means I'm gonna run away back to Hongdae with you? You haven't changed a bit." 

 

Minseok's face was contorted with anger except there was a sadness in his eyes, Jongdae didn't allow himself to give in to the guilt, he stood with his head held high. Minseok angrily slammed his lips against Jongdae's, pulling him into an aggressive kiss. Jongdae's hands worked their way into Minseok's hair where he gripped on the Raven locks tightly.

The way Minseok's fingers gripped at Jongdae's slender waist was almost painful but it made Jongdae only want Minseok more. Their lips moved roughly, causing them both to swell up. Minseok pulled at Jongdae's lebret piercing with his teeth, causing the brunette to shudder. Minseok pulled Jongdae's jacket off abruptly and threw it away, lips going back to meet the younger' and his hands trailing over Jongdae's now visable ribs.  
Grabbing Minseok's ass, Jongdae pulled the two closer so there was no space left between them. The two ambled to the bed, not breaking the kiss once, Minseok fell backwards pulling the brunette on top of him. Jongdae pushed his hips down and began to grind on the Raven haired man below him with hard pressure. He felt the harsh stinging of Minseok's nails digging into the skin of his back and scratching down. The pain and pleasure mixed all together caused Jongdae to moan out between his heavy breaths. 

 

"You know I fucking hate you for leaving me." Minseok panted. There was something just so arousing to Jongdae from what he said, the aggressiveness of his tone really getting to the slender man. Jongdae trailed his lips along Minseok's jawline, sucking and nipping leaving small bruises along his tan skin; upon reaching his shoulder Jongdae began to bite down on the skin just like how he knew Minseok loved. Pulling away from the deep teeth mark, he saw tiny specks of blood beginning to ooze from the flesh.  
It wasn't long till both of them were fully hard and desperately grinding on each other. Panting into each other's mouths in pure ecstasy, stealing the occasional rough kiss. Jongdae began to move down Minseok's body with his mouth, Sinking his teeth into fleshy areas which sent Minseok crazy.  
A strong pair of hands grabbed Jongdae's biceps and pulled him up. 

"No foreplay. I want you right now." Minseok panted through laboured breaths. The sight of the man he held his affections for so undone sent a smirk to Jongdae's lips. A quick idea popped into Jongdae's mind as he slid away off the bed, Minseok propped himself onto his elbows and looked at Jongdae with confusion. The skinny brunette pulled his phone from his phone from his pocket and plugged it in to nearby speakers.  
A sensual beat began to play, drums and guitar allowing Jongdae to move his hips perfectly with the music. He kept his back to the raven haired man and kept bumping his hips to the beat, mouthing the sensual lyrics to himself. He slowly turned in time to the music and played with the hem of his shirt, flashing his pale skin teasingly. As the chorus hit heavily, he pulled his shirt off, continuing to dance. Minseok grinned up at him from the bed, realising what Jongdae was doing. The brunette worked his way to the bed where he straddled Minseok, grinding perfectly in time to the music. He undid his belt slowly before ripping it away, before running his hands along Minseok's clothed torso.

The older male's hands trailed up to Minseok's hips where they dug into the skin with force. Jongdae began to sing along with the music, maintaining a hard look into Minseok's eyes as he sang the dirty lyrics. Through the loud guitar and drums he could hear Minseok's heavy growls, he was desperate for Jongdae and that's just what the ex-gang member wanted. 

Jongdae popped the button of his jeans open, rough hands sliding down the zip painfully slow. The brunette let out a small sigh of relief as the tight material loosened around his erection. The song was quick coming to an end which set both of them on edge, awaiting the act that would come after. Jongdae pulled down the waist band of his trousers sensually before pulling them back up, teasing Minseok. Just as the song ended, Jongdae leant forward, pulling on Minseok's bottom lip with his teeth.  
"Fuck. You're so hot." Minseok growled in a animalistic tone.

Jongdae couldn't bring himself to maintain the teasing, also becoming desperate. Jongdae began to pull down his trousers completely, seeing that the strip tease was over, Minseok began to undress also. Minseok stared up at Jongdae as he hovered above him. The two didn't move just for a moment; memories flickering to both of them, it didn't last long until Minseok pulled Jongdae down by the neck and kissed him softly, Jongdae knew that the kiss was trying to convey but he didn't give in to it, instead he kept his lips painfully still giving Minseok a sign.

Jongdae pulled away and reached for a condom and a small bottle of lube. Jongdae moved down Minseok's naked frame and opened up the condom packet. His tongue traced up Minseok's whole length slowly before his hands moved the condom to the head. He stared up at Minseok with a smirk and he rolled the latex down, right to the base. 

 

Minseok took the opportunity to squeeze lube into his hands and smeared it along his fingers. Jongdae moved back up, hands either side of Minseok's head, peering over him. Before Jongdae could lean down to bite down on Minseok's ear lobe, the older man quickly grabbed the skinner frame and flipped him over, whacking Jongdae's head on the headboard in the process. Minseok grinned down at him, flashing his fangs. His fingers found their way to Jongdae's entrance where he pressed one in gently. Jongdae moaned softly as he pressed himself down onto Minseok. 

"More." He begged. Minseok complied with his demand and added an additional two fingers, one at a time.  
Jongdae hadn't felt this good in a long time, none of his clients ever bothered with his pleasure, it was usually all about them. Minseok removed his fingers, leaving Jongdae feeling empty, before he pulled Jongdae's legs up and positioned his member at Jongdae's entrance. The brunette tightly wrapped his legs around Minseok's hips, pulling the two closer together.  
Minseok slowly pressed forward entering Jongdae slowly. He waited a moment for the younger man to get used to the feeling before starting to move in and out, soon his thrusts became rough and harsh, ramming Jongdae's head into the headboard several times. His hand wrapped around Jongdae's cock and pumped in time to each of his thrusts. Jongdae's eyelids fluttered as the pleasure consumed him and he gripped tightly onto the bedsheets either side of him. Minseok was in a similar state, caught between looking at Jongdae with such anger and affection or eyes closed, completely lost in the moment. 

The music still played in the background, sending Jongdae back to the memories of his short time at EXO. How he and Minseok had done this so much, how he'd been so in love with the man who hovered above him panting his hot breath down Jongdae's neck. Minseok's thrusts were becoming more frantic, causing him to hit Jongdae's sweet spot with every thrust. 

"Ah fuck...I'm gonna..." He moaned, his breath becoming more ragged and shaky. With a few more frantic thrusts Minseok pulled out before pulling off the condom and coming all over Jongdae's stomach. The orgasm rippled through Minseok for a couple moments as his moans faded and he caught his breath.  
As he gathered back his composure his hand worked fast on Jongdae, drawing the brunette closer and closer. Jongdae's hands shot up and clung onto Minseok, nails digging into the skin of his back. Jongdae came soon after, mixing his seed with Minseok's. 

Minseok rolled away and laid beside Jongdae, breath still heavy. Reluctantly the brunette got off the bed and began wiping himself down, then putting his clothes back on. Once he was fully dressed, he grabbed his phone which turned the music off before returning to the bedside.

He held out his hand expectantly. 

"Pay up." He ordered. The words seemed to bring Minseok back down to reality as he realised the original situation. Jongdae was still an escort and he still a customer. 

Although it broke his heart to only be with Jongdae like this, he shifted off the bed, grabbed his trousers and paid Jongdae with the excessive amount of crumpled notes in his pocket. 

***********************************************************

hello! im rileybrodys bff dove!

i'm beta'ing his fic now, as ive been reading it for a while! (i love it but jesus christ he does not know how to format)  
from now on, i will be helping out with the writing of this fic (not too much! i understand riley's writing is damn good on its own)  
along with the general formatting and grammar and such that riley hasn't been able to do himself on mobile

psi. i write fics on AFF! i'm dovesan on AFF and dovejpg on tumblr!  
aight im leaving, look forward to the next chapter!! <3


	7. Only buying

Minseok visited the brothel up to 3 times a week from their first meeting.

 

Each day taking out all of his anger and frustrations on Jongdae. On the days he didn't visit he still sent money over to Jongdae, he said it was to keep him in a good money situation but the brunette knew it was so he didn't have to have other clients. In spite of the raven-haired man he made sure that he did have more clients, trying to set in a jealously complex between the two. Jongdae told Minseok that the money was going into savings and food for himself but he'd gotten so much better at lying. The money allowed him to branch out to stronger drugs which costed more, Jongdae didn't care though, with the money Minseok sent him, he'd never be out of pocket for drugs.

Slowly jumping from hallucinogens to depressants, it wasn't long till he found something that fitted him the most. The very drug he'd been arrested for selling. It was the easiest to access in Seoul as gangs in each province had it shifted. The high was the best that Jongdae had ever experienced, heightening his senses, causing his brain to function quicker and his mentality was so much more positive than it had been in the last year. 

 

However even Jongdae could see the physical toll that the drugs had on him. His already skinny body was beginning to waste away, skin barely clinging to his bones, this more evident on his face. His cheeks were so sunken in that his cheekbones heightened so much. He often had trouble remembering things, some days Minseok would return and Jongdae wouldn't even remember his last visit but Minseok never noticed, it was as if he was oddly blind to the path of self destruction that the brunette was walking down.  
He rarely left the brothel, only leaving to buy more of his craved substances. Just standing outside sent him into an anxious state, paranoia eating away at him with every glance his way. The more he abused the substances the more he associated negativity with sobriety, causing him to be high as much as possible. He was killing himself slowly but he didn't care, getting high was life for Jongdae now. 

 

 

The streets were too loud for Jongdae as he strolled through dark alleys. He'd been out for hours, searching and searching for a dealer but he couldn't find any. Not one. Frustration settled in Jongdae as he stood by the subway entrance. He needed his fix and he needed it now, addiction eating away at his mind. He had searched the Mapo district high and low and couldn't find a deal anywhere, going on a last resort he headed into the subway. He bought his ticket and sat on the train, legs jutting up and down partially from impatience and partially from his come down. It wasn't a long journey till he found himself back in Hongdae. He hadn't been back since the day he left and the streets were all too familiar. He walked around to a route he knew all too well before pulling up his hood and hiding his face. Shoving his hands into his pocket he headed towards a figure who stood inconspicuously in a dark parking lot. The figure stood up straight as Jongdae approached and tensed up, becoming aware of his new customer. 

 

"Set me up?" Jongdae asked quietly, not trying to reveal his voice too much. 

"How much?" Jongin replied in similar hushed tones. 

"50mg."

"That's a lot, sure you can handle it?" Jongin said in a patronising tone. 

"I'm pretty fucking sure what I can take." Jongdae snapped. Jongin held his hands up passively. 

"Fine! Jesus. Let's see the money." Jongdae pulled his wallet and offered him the money, out stretching his arm. Instead of going for the money, Jongin grabbed his wrist. 

 

"You're a fucking idiot Jongdae." He spat as he pushed the sleeve of his hoodie up, revealing his tattoo. "If you're buying shit don't let me see your fucking ID in your wallet." Jongdae tried to yank his arm away but lately his strength had been fading. 

"Let go of me!" He growled. Jongin shook his head and began to drag him away. The brunette fought against him viciously, digging his heels into the ground. 

"Don't make me fucking get out my gun, man."

"You won't kill me." Jongin chuckled. 

"What's the point of that? I will shoot you in the foot and carry you though. That would be an annoyance but if I have to I will." At the threat Jongdae stopped struggling as much, he was too weak to defend himself from Jongin if a proper fight occurred, he no longer carried any weapons, he had no choice but to be dragged back to Jongin's car. 

 

 

The candy floss haired man shoved Jongdae in the car, locking it while we walked around to the drivers seat before unlocking it and getting in. He took as many precautions as he could to make sure that Jongdae couldn't jump out of the car at any moment. Neither said anything, silence filling the air before Jongdae broke it.   
"Can I have a bump?" He asked, voice shaking. Jongin turned and looked at him like he was an idiot. 

 

"I'm not giving you any of our product, you fucking junkie." Jongdae didn't bother trying to argue it out, knowing that Jongin wouldn't give in. Jongdae stared out the window, watching the lights of the streets and cars around him flash by, slowly filling his head of memories from the streets he used to walk everyday. He knew exactly where they were going, he'd memorised every single route to the EXO complex but he wasn't exactly happy about heading back there. As much as he regretted leaving in the first place, he'd come to terms that he was never returning there but Jongin was just throwing him back in. He'd just gotten completely free of the gang, no guilt clinging to him, no regrets pestering the back of his mind but here he was; outside the front door. 

 

Jongin had phoned someone from upstairs, explaining the situation and telling them to gather everyone up, including Kris. When the two entered the familiar building, Jongdae couldn't help but feel just as overwhelmed as he had the first time he'd ever come. 10 of them all waited for Jongdae in the room Minseok had first brought him to, the whole situation was sickenly familiar. The boys all seemed hostile as he entered, staring him down with harsh eyes, even Minseok looked pissed. Jongdae stood before them, feeling their rage, disappointment and betrayal.

 

Sehun was the only one with soft eyes, the boy ran to Jongdae when he first entered and wrapped his arms tightly around the small frame. Jongdae returned the hug, sincerely missing his closest friend. It wasn't until the now blonde haired boy pulled away that he saw the tears in his eyes and heard the quiet snivels. At that Jongdae felt awful, in this whole year away he'd only thought of him and Minseok, how his departure effected them, he'd never once thought about how leaving would affect poor Sehun, or quiet Kyungsoo. His stomach dropped. 

 

"You've got a lot of nerve trying to buy off of Jongin." Kris stated, anger rolling off of the tip of his tongue. 

 

"Mapo has a dry patch. I had to buy from somewhere." He didn't even try to pretend it was something else, it was too obvious that Jongdae was just a junkie after his fix.   
"You picked the wrong somewhere asshole. You don't leave EXO, especially not after ratting someone out to the cops. I hope you know we've been looking for you." Kris continued. 

Jongdae realised then that the situation was much worse than he first anticipated. He'd thought he'd been dragged here for a slap on the wrist for the drugs and probably an enforced detox but it was much worse, Kris had a warrant on his head and he was pissed. Minseok hadn't told them a thing, they were all still under the illusion that Jongdae had named someone and run out on account of his own skin. 

 

"It's not like that! I promise you! You can ask Minseok!" Jongdae pleaded. Everyone's heads turned to Minseok who's eyes shot open. 

"You were in on this?!" Kris questioned.

"No! I just met him a couple months back! That's all!" 

"And you didn't bring him in? You're just as much of a traitor as he is then!" The leader shouted, pulling his gun out on Minseok. 

"Don't fucking hurt him!" Jongdae yelled desperately. 

"Tell me who you named." 

"I named myself!" 

"Bullshit. Who was it?!" He spat, cocking his gun. The others looked around helplessly, Jongdae could see in their eyes that they didn't want any of this to happen to Minseok but they couldn't stop their leader. 

 

"He's telling the truth, Kris." Minseok said in a surprisingly calm tone. 

 

"I didn't have any ID, they had no idea who I was okay?! I named myself and they let me go. I am not lying to you. I left so no one would come here and it worked didn't it?!" Jongdae exclaimed. Kris muttered something incoherent in Chinese before lowering his weapon. 

 

"I swear to god Jongdae, if you are lying to me I will fucking kill you." He stated bluntly before storming out of the room, leaving everyone stood in shock. Everyone crowded around Minseok, checking if he was okay but he simply dismissed them. He approached Jongdae and held his face between his hands. 

 

"Why were you buying meth?" He asked deadly serious. 

 

"It was for the others."

 

A strong strike came across Jongdae's cheek, disorientating him slightly. 

 

"Don't fucking lie to me. Why were you buying meth."

"You obviously know why." Jongdae said quietly, starting to feel ashamed of his habit.

 

Minseok slapped him again.

 

"I wanna hear you say it." Jongdae stared hard at Minseok, desperately not wanting to admit his addiction in front of so many people. 

"....because I have an addiction?" 

Minseok slapped him yet again and pushed him away. 

"You're a fucking idiot." Jongdae chuckled bitterly. 

"Yeah well that seems to be a trending sentence tonight."

Minseok looked so angry in that moment, that if looks truly could kill Jongdae would've died a thousand deaths. He looked at the others for help, but everyone seemed just as disappointed in him, even Sehun didn't step up to the role. 

"Is that what you were spending my money on?" He growled. 

"You were giving him money?" Chanyeol piped up. 

"Shut the fuck up Chanyeol." Chanyeol shot Minseok a dark glare but didn't say anything else. 

"Oh come on! Cut me some slack, you used to be a Coke head for fuck sake." Jongdae retaliated. Minseok reached the end of his tether and brought his knee up, ramming it sharply into Jongdae's stomach. The impact sent a nausea thorough him and his knees almost buckled from the pain. 

"I don't have time for junkies." Minseok spat as he began to walk away. It stopped just by the door frame before calling back. "And someone give him some food, he looks like a fucking skeleton."

 

The room was eerily silent for a moment before Sehun rushed over to Jongdae. 

"Are you alright?" He asked, worry clear in his face. Jongdae nodded and forced a small smile. "Come on, let's get you some food." Sehun linked his arm through Jongdae's arms protectively and lead him away to the kitchen. Jongdae had to admit that he missed climbing the stairs regularly and walking through the long corridors. He had missed Sehun so much, the boy must've been 22 by now which really put into perspective how long he'd really been gone. Sehun made him a quick sandwich and sat across from Jongdae. 

 

"So where were you? Everyone looked high and low for you." he asked curiously. 

"Well with what just happened I consider it good that you didn't find me."

"That didn't answer my question at all." Jongdae looked at him and sighed, what he did over the past year was nothing he wanted to share with any of the boys, unfortunately Minseok knew but if he could help it, no one else would. 

"I just worked down in the Mapo district, that's all you need to know."

"So is that all I get? You get arrested, fuck off for a year and won't even tell me what happened. I thought we used to be friends." Sehun complained. 

"We're still friends!" he exclaimed. 

"Well if that's even the tiniest bit true then you would open up to me. I've been worrying about you this whole fucking time, I deserve an explanation."

"Look I can't tell you anything!"

"Jesus when did you become such an asshole?!" Sehun spat in a loud voice before standing up and storming out of the room. Jongdae stared down at his sandwich before pushing it away, he really didn't have an appetite, what he wanted was to get high. 

 

 

He waited 10 minutes and no one came, Sehun hadn't sent anyone up to spy on him, or he had but no one cared enough to follow through. He took the opportunity to slip out of the room and sneak down to storage. He'd only been in once with Yixing but he faintly remembered it. Upon approaching the door he noticed a code lock, about to turn away, not knowing the code he noticed something. The door hadn't been closed properly. Looking around, checking there was no one about he slipped inside. It was like walking into heaven. Shelves upon shelves packed tightly with what he craved so much. In a rush he quickly went to an air packed packet and took a used baggy from his pocket. Using his fingers, he quickly piled in as much as he could into the small bag before shoving it back into his pocket and walking away. As he headed back up the stairs he shoved his hands into his pocket and held the bag tightly.

The feel of the small crystals excited him and a faint smile graves his lips. Jongdae headed for one of the shared bathrooms and locked himself inside. He put down the toilet seat and got on both knees. Using the bottom of his lighter he crushed out the crystals to a fine powder before using his ID card to separate the powder into lines. He stared at the off white substance momentarily before pulling out a note from his wallet and rolling it up. He brought the rolled up note to the powder and placed his nostril to the other side, blocking up his other nostril. He inhaled deeply, snorting up the line into his system.

 

He pulled away, rubbing his nose roughly to make sure everything had gone into his system before switching sides and snorting another line. It took a couple minutes of just staying on his knees before the effects began to kick in. He shakily stood up, his knees and arms twitching insistently. Staring into the mirror he wiped away any traces that may have been left on his face and checked over his appearance. His pupils were dilated, chocolate brown iris nearly consumed by blackness. 

 

The use was too obvious in his eyes, he couldn't be around the others without being caught. Jongdae sneaked his way back up to his old room, expecting it all to be empty and dusty, but still a place where he could shut himself away but that wasn't the case. The room looked exactly how he'd left it. The same furniture, same TV, same posters, even his photographs of his family and friends were still dotted around the room. He approached the bed, it looked slept in from the way the sheets were in a wrinkled mess and the mattress dipped in. At first Jongdae thought that the high was making him paranoid and over observant but the was no doubt about it that someone had been sleeping in his room. He stood and simply stared at the sheets for a moment before flopping onto the bed. He'd forgotten how it felt to have his own space. He laid there for a minute, mind going crazy, taking in all of his surroundings.

His body felt so light as he laid there, staring up at the ceiling. 

 

"How the fuck am I back here?" He asked himself angrily as he sat up. He could run. He knew he could. All of his belongings were back in his shoebox room in the brothel after all but there was something that stopped him. Here he didn't have to sell himself anymore, he had a secure home. A knock came at the door before Chanyeol slipped inside. 

 

"Hey, you alright?" He asked carefully. Jongdae nodded, hopefully not too frantically, he didn't want his intoxication to be too apparent.

"It's kind of shitty but Minseok said you're not allowed to be on your own so you'll be rooming with me tonight." Jongdae rolled his eyes and sighed. 

"Great." He pushed himself off the bed and followed Chanyeol across the hall. Chanyeol's room however had changed, it was much cleaner and there appeared to be two of everything, even two televisions side by side. Baekhyun sat on the bed cross legged which made him look very childlike. His hair was now a fire red but his style remained the same. He barely looked up as the two entered, too emerged in his video game. 

"Jongdae's rooming with us." Chanyeol stated as he flopped onto the bed next to Baekhyun. 

"Us?" Jongdae questioned. 

 

"Yeah we sorta became public after you left." Chanyeol admitted with a sheepish smile. 

 

Jongdae was happy for the two, but he didn't see where he fit in in the room. 

"I can room with someone else if it's easier?" he suggested. Baekhyun looked up at him awkwardly. 

"I don't wanna be the one to say this but the others don't exactly like you at the moment." Baekhyun put down his controller and pulled a bag from his pocket. He looked at Chanyeol and he nodded, Baekhyun poured a small amount onto a game case before separating it into three lines with a card. 

"Fancy a bump?" He asked Jongdae. He nodded before sitting down next to Baekhyun. The red head snorted his line followed by Chanyeol and then Jongdae. 

"Damn. This is some good Coke." Chanyeol giggled as his senses became stimulated. Chanyeol fell back onto the bed, lying down and staring at the ceiling. He is face was contort with thought for a moment before speaking yet again. 

"Do you guys fancy some fun?" He asked behind stifled laughter. 

"What kind of fun?" Jongdae asked as he laid next to Chanyeol on the bed. 

"I think I know." Baekhyun replied with a smug smile. He turned and got on all fours before slowly crawling on top of Jongdae. The brunette raised a brow but didn't react. Baekhyun smiled before leaning down and placing a soft kiss on Jongdae's lips. He kissed the older boy back, lips moving in perfect sync. He felt the bed shift slightly beside him before a pair of lips started sucking and nibbling on his ear lobe. Jongdae's back arched up in pleasure and a small gasp escaped his lips. Baekhyun eased away and pulled Chanyeol's face up to his, kissing him roughly. 

 

 

Jongdae could almost feel the blood pumping through his veins as the high consumed him. His hand worked its way into Chanyeol's hair, pulling him down away from Baekhyun and kissing him himself. The three tangled themselves up in a heated mess with random items of clothing discarded all over the bed and floor. Jongdae let out a loud moan as Chanyeol's teeth lightly grazed over his nipple piercings, he bucked his hips down on Baekhyun pleasure taking control of his actions. Jongdae had been with two guys at once before in the brothel but the fact he knew these two very closely just appealed to him so much. It gave the act a whole new edge and danger. They knew their ways around each other's bodies, vaguely knowing what each other liked. The feeling of the intimacy with his friends and the high that flooded his brain took Jongdae's mind away from everything except what was happening in that very moment.

He watched as Chanyeol slowly slide his hand down Baekhyun's body and place itself between both their crotches. He gave Baekhyun a quick stroke and soft squeeze before doing the same to Jongdae, causing the two to gasp in sync. Jongdae moved to start unzipping his trousers when he felt a harsh pinching on his ear. He let out a pained Yelp before realising that he could see both Chanyeol and Baekhyun's hands, their eyes stared up at whoever had a harsh hold on Jongdae with guilt ridden in their eyes. 

 

 

"You're fucking kidding me right?" Minseok groaned. His voice sounded mostly angry but Jongdae sensed hurt in there somewhere. He pulled on Jongdae's ear causing him to make his pain vocal yet again. 

"Shit Minseok, let go!" He hissed, grabbing onto Minseok's wrist to ensure it couldn't cause more pain. 

"You're not sleeping here." Using his other hand, he grabbed the brunette's bicep and pulled him from the intimate tangle. He stumbled slightly as he got to his feet but kept up with Minseok's fast pace. As they exited the room Jongdae just heard Baekhyun's voice pipe up slightly. 

"You know if he was so jealous he could've joined in!" A harsh slap of skin hitting skin followed the words before Chanyeol called him an idiot. 

 

 

 

Jongdae honestly thought he'd never see Minseok's room ever again, yet here he was, dragged up with a half erection and his body shaking from drugs. He hated to admit it but the room still stung with the memories shared there, especially Jongdae's harsh goodbye. He didn't have much time to reminisce as Minseok dragged him harshly into the bathroom. He shut the door behind the two of them and let go of Jongdae. He pushed him into the large shower and turned on the freezing cold water. 

"What the fuck are you doing?" Jongdae shrieked as the water hit his skin. 

"Sobering you up." He replied bluntly with an uncomfortably blank face. The water soaked his trousers and the chill softened his slight hardness. He maintained a hard stare with Minseok. 

"I don't want to be here." He said. 

"Well at the moment I don't want you here either." Minseok spat in return, looking disgusted with his ex. 

"That's obviously bullshit otherwise I wouldn't be here."

"Don't flatter yourself. What makes you think I want my junkie prostitute ex boyfriend sleeping in my room, especially after I caught him trying to fuck my two friends." Jongdae didn't know what to say. He was still angry with Minseok yet his words sent guilt that ached his bones. The water pattering down on his skin was the only sound that echoed through out the bathroom before Jongdae turned it off. He removed his wet trousers and boxers, standing nude. Minseok threw a towel at him before walking out, a slight blush on his cheeks. He wrapped the towel around his waist and followed Minseok into his bedroom. A

pair of boxers and one of Jongdae's old shirts were laid out on the bed for him which he quickly got into. Minseok slipped into bed and lit a cigarette, Jongdae began to crawl onto the bed before Minseok stopped him. 

"You're sleeping on the floor." Jongdae stared at him in slight disbelief. 

"I'm not a fucking dog." he snapped. Minseok chuckled spitefully. 

"You sleep on the floor or I'll put a fucking collar on you, tie you up and you can sleep outside like an actual dog." he chucked a pillow and small blanket on the floor and waited for Jongdae to get off his bed. The brunette sighed and got onto the floor and placed his head on the pillow. He pulled the blanket up and tried to get a comfortable position on the hard floor which proved a difficult task. He closed his eyes and forced himself to drift off which was harder said than done due to the stimulant drugs still in his system. He was on the verge of passing out before Minseok spoke for the last time that night.

 

"If you try to leave again tonight I promise you I will get very trigger happy."

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

im not even kidding, riley and i talked about plans for this fic on the train yesterday,   
and i punched him when he revealed this chapter before i beta'd it (≖︿≖✿)  
look forward to future chapters! we're planning on making it long 8)

~~ dove


	8. Imprisoned

Coming back was nothing like it had been when he first joined.

 

The others were cold towards Jongdae, only speaking to him when necessary. He had become isolated, during the day he sat in Minseok's room desperately searching for a way to entertain himself but even in that room Jongdae was restricted. He wasn't to touch Minseok's consoles, only allowed to watch a select few tv channels as all others were locked with a pin, he had no phone and there were scarce few books on the shelves.

Jongdae spent most of his time singing along to the radio, it was a boring existence but an existence none the less. He wasn't confined to the room, there was no lock on the door but when leaving the others would hush their conversations as he walked past, eyes glared at him. The only kind looks he received were from Chanyeol and Baekhyun but even then they were apologetic and full of sympathy. He wasn't allowed to interact with either of them though, they hadn't uttered a word since the night he had returned. 

 

He hadn't been able to so much as look at any substances since the night of his return. Going clean was almost painful to him, his body hated him for it, constantly throwing up, giving him headaches and almost completely erasing any appetite he had. He craved a high so badly but there was no way he'd survive in one piece if Minseok found out. It wasn't even just a physical reaction he received, the mental toll was exhausting. Being sober allowed his thoughts to be perfectly clear which was torment, nothing clouded his mind and he was left alone in his head with just himself. Jongdae didn't know someone could be so self abusive until he was sober. All he could ever think about it how he completely screwed up. 

What he found was the worst thing was the lack of contact. Since Minseok had hint dragged him away from Chanyeol's room, no one had so much as brushed past him. There was something so lonely about lack of human touch, it secluded a person. All Jongdae wanted was just a conversation or a pat on the shoulder, nothing more, it was all he needed. At first Minseok had even refused to buy Jongdae cigarettes, during the first week he scrounged through ash trays, smoking whatever was left. Minseok found the habit disgusting and eventually caved into buying Jongdae tobacco. The thought of spending an extra 5000 won was just too unbearable to Minseok that he no longer bought Jongdae straights, only loose tobacco. This was quite trivial to Minseok as he watched Jongdae struggle and try to roll. In a way he found himself being slowly tortured, isolation and boredom eating away at any motivation he had left. 

 

 

 

EXO wasn't in a good place at the moment. Jongdae managed to hear snippets of conversations before they hushed at his presence, from what he heard there was a new Chinese gang that were threatening their turf. He watched the boys returning night after night with bags half full with stock and disappointed eyes peering above their masks. Every day Minseok looked more and more stressed, in the evenings he wouldn't return till the early morning hours causing him to pass out as soon as his head hit this pillow. He was getting such little sleep it was taking a toll on him.

Jongdae didn't know the last time Minseok had more than 5 hours sleep in a night. In the mornings he rose before everyone else, got ready and left the apartment with Kris and whoever else they chose to go with them that day. What they did all day was a complete mystery to Jongdae but all he knew is that they didn't return till late. All would be well at that point except upon return Minseok would swiftly gather what he needed and head off to the streets in an desperate attempt to sell. 

 

He switched off the radio, growing tired of the same songs that repeated again and again on each station. Having nothing else to do other than smoke and mope, he decided that a nap would be a good idea. It was only early afternoon and Minseok wouldn't be back for hours yet so he took the opportunity to crawl under the sheets of the bed. Of course he sat and laid on the bed when Minseok was out all the time but it was extremely rare for him to actually curl up under the sheets. The cold sheets felt amazing against his half dressed body and he let out a content sigh. It was honestly the most relaxed he'd been in what seemed like an age. The room was completely silent, allowing him to hear the faint sound of the busy streets. From growing up in the city Jongdae always found the sound very comforting, with his eyes closed in that moment he felt home again. 

The bedroom door opened shortly after Jongdae had started to relax revealing an exhausted looking Minseok. The entrance was surprising to the brunette however he didn't jump. 

 

"Why are you in my bed?" Minseok asked. He didn't exactly sound angry; of course there was a strong sense of aggravation in his tone but it was rare for Minseok to talk to Jongdae without being aggravated.

"I didn't think you'd be back till later so I was gonna nap. Sorry." Minseok just shrugged before collapsing down on the bed next to Jongdae. 

"I'm so fucking tired." He moaned into the pillow. 

"You haven't been sleeping much. Try and get some now." Jongdae suggested before slipping off the bed. Minseok simply hummed in agreement before his breath became heavy from sleep. He ran out the room and up to the kitchen which was luckily empty. He had plenty of time to he went about grabbing mass amounts of ingredients. He planned to only cook for Minseok and himself however he felt that the others would only get more bitter if he didn't cook for them so he started preparing enough for 12. 

He'd been a good cook since childhood so he got on quickly with what he was doing. The kitchen was uncomfortably quiet so Jongdae began to sing. He started off quietly, just above a whisper so create some sound but soon enough he was pouring his heart out through song. He was really starting to enjoy himself as he began to prep the meat when he spotting Kyungsoo standing in the doorway. 

"Need help?" He asked, arms folded as he leant against the door frame.

"I can do it myself...but if you want to help, it'd be appreciated!" Jongdae replied forcing an awkward smile to his lips. 

Kyungsoo nodded before washing his hands and helping Jongdae. They stayed silent for a moment or two before Kyungsoo continued to sing the song Jongdae had been before he walked in. The brunette had no idea that the others voice was so good, better than his own he dare say. He joined in with Kyungsoo and harmonised perfectly with him as they worked. 

 

An hour or two passed before the meal was actually finished and ready to eat. The two laid it across the table before heading down to gather up the others. Jongdae in that part was more or less useless as Kyungsoo was the one who had to tell everyone. Jongdae headed to Minseok's room and shook he sleeping frame lightly. 

"Hey, me and Kyungsoo made dinner. Come eat." Minseok groaned and rolled over so his back was to the brunette. 

"Come on, we made your favourite! Kimchi fried rice! And soup!" Minseok still made no attempt of getting out of bed. Jongdae sighed before leaving yet again and going back upstairs. The others had all gathered around the table and were sat eating, walking past them all to get to the kitchen was just painful as all eyes where on him. Safe behind the kitchen walls Jongdae grabbed a tray and some bowls before filling them up with what was still left in the pots and pans. 

Grabbing the tray, some spoons and some chopsticks he slowly attempted to make his way back down to Minseok without spilling anything however he barely got out the kitchen before he bumped into someone and spilt some soup. 

"I'm so sorry, I didn't get any on you did I?!" Jongdae asked frantically. 

"It's fine, you didn't get me. I was just coming to ask if you were sitting with us?" Sehun replied with a small smile. 

"Huh?" 

"Well you made us this lovely meal I guess you can sit and talk with us in return." Jongdae stared at the blonde for a long moment processing what he said. 

"As generous as that offer is, unfortunately I'm going to have to turn it down as I need to get this food down to Minseok. Tell you what though, I'll make dessert next time too and maybe I can make eye contact with you guys in return?!" Jongdae spat, sarcasm dripping from his tongue like venom. He pushed past Sehun and continued on his path down to Minseok however this time the eyes on him didn't bother him a bit. 

 

Minseok awoke shortly after Jongdae's return, the smell of hot food bringing him from his sleep. He sat up and watched as Jongdae got out the fold away table and placed it onto the ground before placing the food onto it. He lowered himself to the ground and looked up at Minseok. 

"You're hungry I can tell." Minseok nodded in agreement and joined Jongdae at the table. He began shovelling the food into his face before addressing Jongdae. 

"So who cooked?"   
"I did. Everyone's upstairs eating." Minseok gave him an odd look before continuing to devour his food. The food was gone quickly, Jongdae was right to assume he was starving.

After his meal he rolled a cigarette and perched it between his lips. He patted his pockets looking for a lighter when Minseok's hand shot out and lit it for him. 

"Thanks." He said before taking a long drag. "Are you alright?" He asked, finally prying into Minseok's well being. 

"I'm fine." He said sharply. 

"Oh come on. It's been a month, you guys gotta let me in at some point." Jongdae complained. "I'm so sick of just sitting around here, let me work with you guys or for the love of god let me go, I can't fucking live like this!" Minseok seemed quite taken aback from the outburst, he'd been so quiet up until this point. 

"You think I like this? You sat here day in and day out is just a painful fucking reminder of what we used to have! It's torture! But I can't trust you anymore, none of us can." Jongdae was lost for words. 

"I fucking love you Minseok." He blurted out. The elder stared at him in silence, conflict so clear in his eyes. He stuttered, not being able to form words. 

"I always loved you. Even when I left you had all of me and it was so painful to leave you behind. And over that year it just made it so much easier to turn that affection into resentment. You finding me was honestly the best thing to happen to me, everyday I think about being in that coffee shop and how you just turned everything upside down." Jongdae relented, his voice breaking. 

"Don't do this." 

"Why?! Why should I keep that to myself? You're not the only one in pain. Every single fucking day I see you come in after working your ass off, you feel like shit and I can see that but what can I do? Nothing because you don't let me do shit about it!" It took a second to process that Jongdae was crying, his cheeks wet from tears rolling. 

 

Realising how stupid he must've seemed, he rose from the floor and quickly made his way to the bathroom. Staring into the mirror he wiped away his tears with the back of his hand. He couldn't do it. He couldn't stay in that room a second longer, he wanted out even if it meant getting shot. His silent tears turned to quiet sobs that violently shook through his body. Everything was just becoming too overwhelming, his life just felt so claustrophobic. His head hung as he cried, no idea what to do. A soft hand on the back of his neck caused him to jump but he didn't pull away. The hand stroked his hair comfortingly for a second before Jongdae turned and wrapped his arms around Minseok's shoulders. He buried his face in the elders neck and just cried.

Minseok rubbed his back softly and kissed his head at all the right times which eventually settled the younger down. Even when his tears stopped he was reluctant to let go of Minseok, he hadn't been touched in so long and the contact was almost like the high he craved so much. Minseok had led Jongdae to the bed where he simply laid in Minseok's arms for hours, not saying a word, just content of being in each other's presence. Minseok fell asleep eventually, gaining back all of his lost hours of sleep. Jongdae hardly slept that night, instead he revelled in just watching his lover's chest rise up and down in his deep sleep, he hadn't realised how much he'd missed this. 

 

 

 

Once again Minseok had to arise early in the morning which woke Jongdae was he slid out from underneath the younger. He watched as Minseok dressed after his shower with a faint smile gracing his lips.Minseok smiled at him timidly before he grabbed his stuff and left. No words were said yet Jongdae felt so content. The day was one of the slowest he'd ever experienced since returning, his mind couldn't stop replaying the nights events causing him to pine for Minseok's return. Yet again Jongdae took it upon himself to cook everyone food with the help of Kyungsoo, things were really on the amend between the two and Jongdae even sat at the table with everyone. No one especially spoke to him except the occasional thank you and compliment on the food but it was better than nothing. In the evening the wait had seemed pointless as Minseok had gone out with Luhan for the night.

Luckily Kyungsoo had invited Jongdae to his room for the evening to hangout with him and Junmyeon. It had been awkward at first, Junmyeon not knowing what to say to him but Kyungsoo acted well as a bridge for conversation. Soon enough the three were happily playing video games and laughing. Jongdae spent most the night wondering if Minseok had said anything to the others, after all it was odd that he began to make amends with him and suddenly he was hanging with the others. 

"I really can't be assed to go to that meet up tomorrow." Junmyeon complained as their game ended. Kyungsoo shrugged. 

"Well you have to, Kris needs you there." 

"I don't know why Kris doesn't take Yixing and Luhan instead of us, I don't even speak Chinese!" The conversation confused him, what meet up? Why did he need to know Mandarin?

"What meet up?" The other two looked at each other nervously, silently debating whether to tell him or not. 

"Another gang popped up on our turf, Kris doesn't want a turf war so we're meeting to come to some sort of agreement." Junmyeon explained. 

"They've been selling in our spots so we've been loosing money." Kyungsoo added. 

"Do we know anything else about them other than the fact they're Chinese?" 

"Nope. Absolutely nothing, one day everything's fine, the next these assholes pop up out of nowhere." Junmyeon replied with anger in his tone. Jongdae had a million questions but he decided to settle for only one more. 

"So who's going tomorrow?"

"Me, Kris, Zitao, Chanyeol and Minseok." Junmyeon informed. Jongdae's stomach dropped. Minseok was going. The three dropped the conversation but it stuck in Jongdae's mind, filling him with constant worry. Time came when it was time for Junmyeon and Jongdae to return to their rooms as it was late. Minseok still wasn't home when Jongdae got back to the room, not wanting to sleep without ensuring his return, he switched on the PlayStation and began to play. 

 

Hours passed and it was 3am when Minseok returned. The elder man absolutely stuck of alcohol and he wore a dark expression upon seeing Jongdae. 

"What're you doing in my bed?" He asked. Jongdae was confused. 

"What'd you mean?" He backfired. 

"You sleep on the floor remember?" Jongdae didn't know what to say. Minseok chuckled. 

"Let me guess. You thought that because you confessed and cried that we were back together right?" The brunette didn't respond. "You are such a fucking idiot. You honestly think that I can trust you again just like that?!" 

"You're drunk." he stated bluntly. 

"That doesn't mean shit."

"Why are you being such an asshole?" Minseok simply stared at him in awe. 

"Me?! I'm the asshole?" Jongdae didn't want to hear the rest. He simply got up and pulled on his trousers. 

"Fuck it. I'm leaving." Instead of letting the skinnier boy pass, Minseok blocked the door way. 

"You're not going anywhere."

 

He stood for a moment, debating what to do. Taking a deep breath he tried to push Minseok out of the way harshly which only earned a shove back. 

"Don't fucking push me!" Minseok snapped. 

"Let me pass then!" 

"No! I told you already, you're not leaving!" Minseok yelled. Jongdae stayed silent for a second before looking at the elder dead in the eye. 

"The only way you can stop me is to fucking shoot me." The two stood in an ominous silence for several moments. Not sure what the others next move would be. Gathering his courage, Jongdae pushed past his ex lover. 

"I knew you wouldn't shoot-" He called from the hallway before a deafening bang cut him off. He stared at the wall in front of him, through the plaster and brick, level with his eyes was a bullet hole. Turning on his heel, he stared wide eyed at Minseok as he held his gun firmly. 

"That was a warning shot." 

 

Jongdae couldn't move, his ears ringing from the close range gunfire but he was too shocked to even move an inch. The sound had awoken everyone in the dorm and it wasn't long till head poked through doors, leading them all to surround the two at a distance. Most of the faces were just as shocked and confused as Jongdae. The silence was broken as everyone heard Kris' heavy footsteps charging towards them. 

 

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!" He screamed angrily. The loudness causing everyone to cringe. 

"He was trying to leave again." Minseok stated bluntly. Kris' glare moved from Minseok to Jongdae, who was still frozen. 

"You two are more trouble then you're fucking worth." Kris massaged his temples with a loud sigh. 

"I swear to god if I hear another thing from either of you I am going to fucking string you up by your balls. Now. Go back to fucking bed and let me forget this happened." Kris stayed put and watched angrily as the boys began to filter away leaving only a few. Minseok retreated to his room with a low growl and slammed his door. 

Jongdae looked around at the other boys in hope that at least one would offer him a room for the night, it was clear to him that Kris wouldn't let him leave. Sehun simply shook his head, as did Chanyeol. The realisation that Jongdae only brought trouble had settled in all of them, causing no one to want any involvement. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, already regretting what he was about to do. 

"Hey Kris." He called out, earning yet another glare. 

"What?!" The leader growled. 

"I want my old spot back." Kris looked like Jongdae had just spat at him. 

"You want your old place back? And you think this is how you earn it?"

"You know I'm good at what I do so why waste it? I'm just sat here day in day out." 

"You're good but I can't trust you as far as I can throw you." Kris replied, anger slowly retreating from his tone. 

 

"One chance. That's all I'm asking. If I fuck up, I will hand you the gun personally." Kris contemplated for a second before giving a sharp nod. Jongdae gave a smug smile, he was back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk where I was going with this chapter but I need to write something thing to set up the next part of the story line. Thank you for being patient with my updates!


	9. The colour red

Things weren't improving with the rival gang at all, if anything it was getting worse. Their income had significantly dropped due to the Chinese gang selling on their turf. EXO was getting more and more aggravated by each day, most of them sitting around knowing that sales wouldn't come through. Kris had tried to reason with them but they wouldn't back down. They were ruthless. Instead of selling, Kris had been working hard on gaining police influence, he knew all too well that connections with the right people would mean that the entire force would turn a blind eye to their activity but it was a risky and expensive game.

Jongdae had moved back into his room fully where he was free to roam. There were still some restrictions, he still had to be accompanied whenever he left the apartment complex but he didn't mind. Most of the members had come around to accept that Jongdae was back but a few were still stubborn, Tao, Sehun and Minseok seemed to hate his presence in the apartment. The three made sure they had as little to do with Jongdae as possible, which secluded them to a small group that even ate separately. 

It hurt Jongdae to see Minseok so reluctant to communicate but there was nothing he could to change that. Of course there were nights where Jongdae found his face buried in a pillow while Minseok rammed into him relentlessly, draining himself from built up anger to the younger man. He hated admitting it but Jongdae loved those nights. He loved the raw aggressiveness of his ex lover and he loved the way his touch burned on his skin like it was a sin to touch. Jongdae often felt like the more in love he fell, Minseok's hatred only equated it but he didn't care. Hate sex was better than none. 

The young brunette had formed the habit of going down the tattoo parlour with Kyungsoo, inking up his skin. He'd always felt so blank when standing next to his other members but now he was filling up skin with intricate and beautiful art. He'd also taken it upon himself to finally dye his hair. He'd sat on the bathroom floor excitedly while Chanyeol slathered on the dark red colour. 

"You know it won't be bright red right?" Chanyeol stated. 

"Huh? Why not?"

"You have to bleach it first dumbass." 

"Oh. What colour will it go?"

"Oh it'll be red, don't worry. Probably a dark one because of your brown hair." Jongdae hummed in disappointment but allowed Chanyeol to continue. When the colour was all washed out and dry he saw what Chanyeol meant. The colour was dark but it was still rich and vibrant like wine. Jongdae stared in the mirror, playing with his fringe, trying to get the long overgrown hair out of his face. 

 

"You need a haircut." 

"Yeah I know. I don't know what to get though, this style is kind of boring." Chanyeol's smile lit up. 

"I know exactly what you should do!" Jongdae looked unsure. 

"I don't know man, I've always been a bit funny about hair cuts." 

"Trust me, you'll look great!" 

 

The two left almost straight away, Chanyeol driving them to a high class hair salon. Jongdae was seated in front of a mirror awkwardly while he watched Chanyeol explain to the hairdresser what to do, she nodded along happily and returned to him with a smile. She got to work almost immediately, slathering up his hair in perm lotion and curlers. At the action he stared at Chanyeol, having no idea what was happening to his hair. After the rollers had set, they were pulled away. The red head noted that his hair was now parted in the middle while his long locks of hair fell down around his face in a crimped fashion. The hairdresser did a few final touches by trimming the hair at the front and shaping it around his face. 

When he stood up to finally see his hair along side his piercings and new tattoos he instantly fell in love. He grinned widely. 

"Thank you so much!" He showed his gratitude as much as he could as he paid and exited the shop. Chanyeol unlocked his car and the two clambered in. 

"I'm so glad you made me do this."

"So am I, you look hot." 

"Shut up."

"You do! Trust me if I wasn't with Baek, I totally would." Jongdae laughed. 

"Well apparently when you're still with Baek you would!" He chuckled, referring to their intimate night a few weeks back. 

"That's true. The offer still stands if you're finally free of the Leash that Minseok had on you." 

"Fuck you he never had a leash." Jongdae growled. 

"Dude. He locked you away like a dog in a cage after his pet ran away." Chanyeol stated. "You need to face it Jongdae, he had his name branded on you." Jongdae's eyebrows furrowed but didn't say anything, he didn't want to admit anything to Chanyeol but he knew it was true. There was no denying it. Chanyeol was quick to change the conversation, chatting away about how Baekhyun had left to visit his parents a few days ago, Jongdae barely listened, humming in agreement when needed and nodding his head. 

 

Upon arriving home everyone was crowded in the hallway, Yixing holding a parcel. The members looked confused as they stared at it. 

"What's going on?" Jongdae asked cautiously as he approached them. 

"It's a parcel." Sehun stated bluntly. 

"I can see that, I'm not fucking blind. What's so special about it?" 

"We don't get post here. There's no address, just a name." Kyungsoo said slowly. 

"Who's name?" Chanyeol asked carefully. Jongdae didn't understand why everyone seemed so on edge but seeing as Chanyeol seemed just as nervous as the rest of them, it set his stomach on edge. 

"Wu Yifan?" 

"Who?" 

"Exactly." As the words escaped Kyungsoo's lips, Kris fast approached them, Minseok trailing behind. The two looked like a force to be reckoned with. 

"When did it arrive?" Kris asked. 

"Like an hour or two ago." Yixing admitted. Minseok scowled. 

"We should take it upstairs and open it. Alone." Kris didn't say anything, just simply staring at the name scrawled messily across the brown packaging paper. Jongdae followed Kris' every move with his eyes, he had his suspicions and Kris' actions in the next hour will either confirm his suspicions of completely disregard them. 

"You're Yifan aren't you?" Jongdae blurted out. Everyone of the boys stared at him, eyes unreadable. Jongdae tensed himself, expecting some kind of negative backlash from Kris but none came. 

"Yes. Not that it matters. What's inside of here is more important right now." He replied calmly. His long fingers began to peel away the paper, revealing a black wooden box. Everyone shuffled in closer, so that everyone could get a look inside the box. No one said a word as Kris slowly lifted the latch and opened it. The contents made Jongdae's stomach turn and he wanted to throw up but upon hearing a choked sob, he distracted himself from his own disgust. Chanyeol stood tall side him, eyes overflowing, shoulders shaking. Inside the box was a long small finger, that had been severed from the knuckle. There was still a ring placed snugly on the dead flesh. What Jongdae found the most disgusting was the blood that was smother all around the box and the dismembered ligament. 

 

The others simply stared wide eyed, not quite fully understanding. 

"Chanyeol, isn't that your..?" Jongdae asked, trailing his question off when he realised. The metal band that was wrapped around the finger was familiar, it was Chanyeol's. 

"Holy shit. It's Baekhyun's." The words themselves sent Chanyeol's knees weak and he collapsed to the floor in a sobbing mess. Most of the boys were too shocked to move, none of them had been in a situation like this before. Jongdae knelt beside his crying friend and wrapped his arms around him, trying desperately to hush him. 

The silver haired boy couldn't stop blubbering away about Baekhyun, although unlike on the way home, Jongdae listened to each painful word and felt the weight of each on his heart. 

"I asked him to marry me..." Chanyeol sobbed. That explained the ring. The red head lifted his eyes and searched the other's faces, silently asking for help comforting Chanyeol. Sehun stepped forward and helped Chanyeol up. 

"Come on. You don't need to see this." Sehun murmured as he wrapped a comforting arm around Chanyeol. Jongdae went to follow the two when Kris stopped him. 

"Jongdae, you stay." Jongdae nodded and stayed put. "You got weapons on you?" 

"Yeah." 

"Good. Get in the car with Minseok, we're getting Baekhyun back." The 9 of them geared up, pulling their matching leather jackets on, covering up their weapon holsters. Everyone looked scarily intimidating. Just before they all exited the apartment building, Jongin approached him, a baseball bat in each hand. He threw one at Jongdae; who, due to his fast instincts, caught it. He shot Jongin a questioning look. 

"There's something a bit more satisfying about smashing the shit out of someone's skull with a bat rather than just shooting them." 

"Uh thanks?" 

 

The group of 9 all flooded into cars, for some reason Minseok and Jongdae were alone in their car. Kris led the rally in his expensive Lamborghini. Minseok practically floored the pedal as he sped dangerously through the backstreets of Seoul after Kris. 

"How do you know who has him?" Jongdae asked. 

"The box. Had Chinese engraved on it. There's only one gang in Seoul who are Chinese." It made sense and Jongdae nodded. 

"What guarantee do we have that he's alive though? There wasn't a message or anything." 

"If he was dead, they would've sent his head. They're sick like that. They purposely sent his finger to fuck us up. This is all too intentional." Minseok growled, anger apparent in his voice. Jongdae couldn't help but shake the feeling that this was being rushed into. Charging in all guns blazing wasn't a good idea, especially when the have a hostage. 

"Do you think someone's gonna die today?" He questioned quietly. Minseok's eyes flickered towards the red head. Jongdae couldn't tell what his eyes were saying, the anger was still so apparent in them but there was something else too, fear? Passion? Jongdae couldn't tell. 

"Only the people opposing us." He said firmly. 

 

They were still driving when Jongdae heard the first gunshot, causing him to jump. He was scared. It had gotten very real very quickly, it wasn't till this moment when he realised that he'd never shot anyone before. He'd never even been in a fight before except for with Minseok and training. 

"Get ready." Minseok stated grimly. Gripping the baseball bat in sweaty palms, Jongdae swallowed a lump in his throat and kept his eyes on the road. They were getting closer and closer to their destination, meaning that a tuft of Blonde hair popped up through the sun roof of the car in front. Tao pushed himself so he was stood half out of the car as it sped along, in his hands he held what Jongdae could only presume was a shotgun. Firing the weapon into the air, he laughed excitedly, slightly breaking off to scream. Kris's arm appeared from the side of the car, gun in hand. It started to fire as he drove with one hand. Jongdae watched as bodies dropped to the floor, they had been positioned beside a small barrier that marked the entrance for a large warehouse. Kris' car revved and broke through the barrier, creating a clear path for the following two cars. 

Minseok hit the breaks as he skidded into a stop, jumping from the car almost instantly and opening fire on whoever wasn't in an EXO jacket. Jongdae, clambered out the car nervously not exactly sure what to do. He stood for a moment before he saw someone sneaking up near Minseok, knife in hand. In a fast sprint, Jongdae made his way over to Minseok, and with a mighty swing of his bat, he hit the tall male sneaking up on Minseok. A sickening crack came from the man's skull. As the man fell to the floor in a bloodied mess, Minseok turned, giving Jongdae a thankful nod. Dropping the bat, Jongdae pulled his guns from the holsters that were tightly strapped around his chest. 

The adrenaline pumped through every vein in Jongdae's body, giving him a very trigger happy attitude as he shot at everyone in sight. A sudden bang rung in his ear and a wetness shot across his face. He turned to see where all the commotion came from to see Minseok, gun held up in Jongdae's direction and a body slumped on the floor; his brains scattered against the concrete floor. 

“Keep your fucking eyes open!” Minseok shouted over the gunfire. Ducking behind the car, Jongdae began to reload his weapon. Popping up again, ready to fire when all gun fire ceased. 

“DROP YOUR FUCKING WEAPONS!” A man screamed. He stood in the door way of the big building, gun held up against the temple of a beaten and bruised boy. All eyes flickered to Kris. Their leader didn't drop his weapon however, he held it up firmly pointed at the man. The man tugged roughly on Baekhyun’s hair, earning a loud cry from the boy. 

“What do you want?!” Kris yelled back, anger turning his voice sour. The man chuckled sinisterly. 

“What do I want? Control.” 

“And how is kidnapping a kid going to fix that?!” Minseok growled. 

“It sends a message. Clearly my message was well received.” The Chinese leader stated. 

“What message?” 

“That I'm the one in control now. Hongdae is mine now and you all need to die or get the fuck off of my land.” The members of EXO stared hard at him, pride not wanting to back down but fear for Baekhyun’s life over threw their pride. Jongdae exchanged a weary look with Kyungsoo who reflected Jongdae’s worry. 

“Fine. What ever you want, just give Baekhyun back.” Kris said reluctantly. Jongdae could tell that giving in was completely the opposite of what he wanted but it was clear that the loss of Baekhyun’s life was not a risk worth taking. 

“You'll leave Hongdae? Completely? Never to set foot here again?” Kris’ eyes scrunched closed tight and his free hand balled into a fist. 

“Yes.” 

 

Jongdae’s stomach dropped at the words. Kris had just called everything off. They'd lost their home, their work, their community, their lives in just a split second. 

“You can't do that!” Jongdae shouted angrily as he went to lunge at the leader, he barely even took a step before a strong pair of arms wrapped around him. 

“Shut up or you'll get Baek killed.” Minseok growled in his ear. The feeling of the strong embrace eased Jongdae’s anger slightly, however not by much. He watched up as the leader whispered something in Baekhyun's ear and pushed him forward. The fragile boy fell to his knees before pushing himself back onto his feet. He slowly limped over to Tao who stood near Kris. Jongdae had never seen such a withered creature, all hope and pride had seemed to be beaten from him. The bandage that lazily laced over his hand was turning brown from the oxidised blood that stained almost the whole thing. His nose was slightly at an angle, clearly broken, his knee must've popped out of place too. He'd almost reached Tao when the leader’s gun raised one last time and firing. The whole gang screamed as they ran to Baekhyun but it wasn't the poor withered boy that dropped to the ground. Obstructing the path of the bullet from getting to Baekhyun was Kris, who laid slowly bleeding out on the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter was a little bit shorter than usual. I'm currently writing like 3 fics at once so my writing schedule is kinda packed at the moment (also why this update took longer than usual) I should be back on track now that I have all of my fics updated. Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Love you!


	10. New Beginnings

Jongdae couldn’t move.

 

He could barely hear or barely breathe. His unblinking eyes stared down at the familiar body that was slumped on the ground, slowly bleeding out. A sudden fire of gunshots pulled Jongdae from his trance; reluctantly he looked away from Kris’ slightly twitching body to see Minseok, who had quickly retrieved his dropped weapons. The raven haired man advanced forward angrily, firing at such a rapid rate that Jongdae wasn’t even sure he was even aiming any more. The enemy opened fire yet again, sending everyone back into combat mode.

Jongdae quickly retrieved his gun before opening fire yet again. Out the corner of his eye he watched as Tao wrapped an arm around Baekhyun and attempted to drag the injured boy back to the cars. All of them needed to make a retreat, that was clear but without Kris there was no one to step up and give the orders, Minseok was the only one capable of doing so but everyone could see he was not in the right state of mind.

 

“EVERYONE BACK TO THE CARS!” Jongdae screamed over the gunfire, hoping that everyone would listen to him. Luckily the others took Jongdae’s command as the best option and quickly started to retreat, not stopping their rapid firing at any point. The boys all made their way back to their cars except Minseok, who was crouched behind a small brick wall, insistently firing at the enemy gang. The others called after him desperately but he simply ignored them, too wrapped up in revenge. Seeing no other option, Jongdae took a deep breath and said a silent prayer.

Eyes locking onto Minseok, he sprung forward into a sprint straight over to the older man. Upon arriving at Minseok’s side Jongdae wrapped his arms tightly around the elder’s torso and began to drag him roughly. Minseok thrashed against him, yelling profanities and still shooting his gun carelessly but Jongdae moved fast and didn’t let go. He shoved his ex-lover into the car before sprinting over to the driver’s seat.  
   
Jongdae floored the pedal out of the Chinese compound. He wound through the back streets faintly remembering the way home, the two cars trailed behind, matching his speed almost perfectly.

 

“Why did you drag me away?!” Minseok yelled angrily.

“We needed to get out of there alive, I needed to get you out of there.” He stated in return, voice firm. He and Minseok were not on good terms so he prepared himself for the aggressive behaviour to come his way from the elder but it didn’t come. He peered to the side for a moment to see the tears that rolled down Minseok’s cheeks. One of the red head’s hands removed itself from the wheel and grabbed the elder’s comfortingly.

“He was your friend… I’m sorry.” Jongdae said barely above a whisper. Minseok said nothing but squeezed Jongdae’s hand tightly in a silent thank you.  
   
It wasn’t long until the cars pulled up in front of their apartment block. They had barely switched off their engines before Chanyeol and Sehun appeared at the doorway.

“Where is he?!?” Chanyeol called out desperately. They all clambered out of their cars before Tao helped Baekhyun to his feet. His bloodied and bruised face broke into an enormous smile upon seeing Chanyeol. The boy called out his name excitedly before stumbling closer to him as fast as he could. Chanyeol broke into a run and met him half way, pulling the smaller frame into a tight hug and a passionate kiss. To see such happiness in a day full of so much sorrow sent a smile to Jongdae’s lips.

 

They’d lost so much that day but he found satisfaction in the fact there was at least one positive outcome from their loss.

 

 

* * *

  
 

“So what do we do now?” Yixing asked quietly as they all sat on the floor. Upon arriving home, the group was all exhausted, but they couldn’t rest properly, not after the day they’d had. All eyes flickered over to Minseok who sat next to Jongdae. The look in his eyes showed he was just as clueless as the rest of them, he may have been Kris’ second in command but he wasn’t ready to become a leader at all.

“We’ll have to pack up and leave. It’s all we can do.” He uttered. It was clear enough to see that he didn’t want to leave his home either but it was their only option at this point. It was an answer that no one wanted to hear, none of them wanted to leave their home but what choice did they have? 

“What about Kris?” Junmyeon asked delicately. It was a heavy question that no one had wanted to ask and the words seemed to lift a weight from the atmosphere. Jongdae quickly glanced over at Minseok who clearly wasn't comfortable with the topic of conversation. 

“We’ll hold a memorial when we're back on our feet but that's all we can do. We haven't got a body.” He stated, speaking for Minseok. The others just nodded sadly, deeming no reply as satisfactory. In the silence Minseok leant his head against Jongdae’s shoulder sadly, silently seeking comfort. The younger wrapped an arm around Minseok’s waist and pulled him in close. 

 

“Kyungsoo, can you change Baek’s bandages and clean his wounds? The rest of you should all get to bed, it's going to be a long day tomorrow.” Jongdae asked sweetly, not wanting to sound too assertive, it really wasn't his place to be barking out orders. Kyungsoo nodded before helping Baekhyun up and walked him out of the room, closely followed by a worried Chanyeol. The rest slowly filtered out of the room, wearily returning up to their bedrooms to get their last nights sleep in their rooms. 

“You need some sleep.” Jongdae murmurs to the man still leaning on him. 

“Yeah.” He returned tiredly. The two pushed themselves off the floor and headed up to Minseok’s room, fingers entwined delicately. In the privacy of the bedroom the two stripped themselves of the dirty and bloodied clothes that clung to their bodies. Looking in the mirror Jongdae almost got a shock at his appearance. His red hair stuck to his face, dried with blood that splattered scraps his cheek and forehead.

 

Taking a wet cloth he scrubbed away the fluid, wanting it off of him as quickly as possible. When he was ready he headed back into the bedroom to see Minseok curled up on the bed. He slid in next to him and the two entwined their bodies. Minseok cried silently through out the night, tears staining the shirt on Jongdae’s chest but as the night slowly faded into the morning, sleep finally claimed them. 

 

 

* * *

 

  
The boys struggled at first, often finding themselves sleeping in their cars surrounded by what little belongings they managed to cram inside. They barely spent whatever money they had taken from their old home, it turns out that Kris had saved copious amounts of money however they were still very close to the city centre, meaning housing was ridiculously expensive. The 11 of them slowly worked their way through the provinces until they found one that was cheap enough to house them. They separated into two groups and rented two apartments. Jongdae found himself sharing a small two-bedroom apartment with Minseok, Tao, Yixing and Luhan. He and Minseok had been shoved into the smallest room together, meaning they had to share the small bed roll on the floor but they didn't mind. 

Since the night of Kris’ death the two had very much been on the amend. Their relationship growing stronger with each passing day. Kris’ death had pushed Minseok to a state of mind where he realised what he could loose and he wasn't prepared to loose Jongdae, no matter what difficulties they had in the past. Jongdae of course didn't object to Minseok’s change of heart, the opportunity to be the object of Minseok’s affections was not something he wanted to pass away.

The elder man had become much softer in the recent months, no longer loosing his temper regularly or becoming distant. He was upfront about his emotions with Jongdae which only made the red head fall harder. 

 

Both Baekhyun and Jongdae had managed to find a job at a nearby café, which meant that Jongdae could return back to his barista days. Working in such an environment was so odd to him, it made him feel like the last 2 years never happened but the memories still stuck. Sometimes he found himself waiting for a certain pink haired man to pop up in front of the counter and flirt until Jongdae blushed to the same colour of his hair but that was a distant memory. Working with Baekhyun was fun though. Their schedules were almost identical meaning they took their breaks together and always walked to work together. With such an intimate schedule it allowed the two to become closer in their friendship. 

 

 

 

A common topic of conversation between the two was Baekhyun’s wedding. He was as excited about it as a young girl, always talking about his dream locations and what he'd wear, Jongdae honestly found it adorable. 

“I really want this to happen and everything it's just, I can't really afford it. Most of my wages are going towards rent because Jongin and Sehun are too fucking lazy to get up off their asses and get a job.” Baekhyun complained as he sipped away at his coffee. 

“Want me to get Minseok on them? I'm pretty sure he can scare them into getting a job.” Jongdae laughed with his Cigarette perched between his lips. The two sat on a bench in a park nearby to the café. Their shifts had long ago ended but their conversation was just too engaging to part ways and go home. Baekhyun chuckled. 

“Not a bad idea to be honest.” 

“I'm sure you can do it though. I know it's not what you want but you don't have to have this over the top dramatic wedding.” The red head suggested with a cocked eyebrow. Baekhyun stared at him like he'd just insulted his mother. 

“I'm not having some half ass shitty wedding. Who do you think I am?!” 

“Okay! Jeez! It was merely a suggestion.” 

“Yeah well it was a shit suggestion.” Baekhyun said with a slight pout. At times like these Jongdae could never help himself from just laughing at Baekhyun's childish behaviour. Jongdae’s giggles were contagious and it wasn't long until Baekhyun was chortling away next to him. As their laughter slowly died down, the two began their walk home. It wasn't a far distance however the two often found themselves dawdling as they walked, going at a snail's pace home. 

"So, um, Chanyeol and I were kinda wondering if you'd want to be our best man?" Baekhyun asked, nervously stuttering on his words. Jongdae grinned brightly before pulling the small blonde in for a tight hug.

"Yes! Oh my god, of course!" he exclaimed barely containing his excitement. The two jabbered on excitedly about their wedding plans throughout the entirety of their walk home until it came to the point they had to separate ways. 

“I'll see you Monday yeah?” Jongdae asked before bidding a quick goodbye. It wasn't long until he was back in the warmth of his small apartment. He peered his head in all the bedrooms to reveal that only he and Luhan were the only ones home. The red head set about starting to cook his house mates dinner, despite being on a tight budget he still made it a high priority to make sure everyone was well fed. 

 

* * *

 

Jongdae sat on the floor, cigarette perched between his lips as he watched Minseok quickly undress. The elder man turned on the spot to stare at Jongdae with an Unpleased look. 

“Why did you pick a fancy dress theme? I hate dressing up.” He complained, placing a hand stroppily on his hip. 

“Because it's not your stag do and Baekhyun loves dressing up.” Minseok sighed before turning back to his closet and pulling out the clothes that Jongdae had bought him. The red head sucked on his cigarette with the corners of his lips turned up in a slight smirk, watching the muscles of Minseok's body move as he set about dressing himself. 

“Keep on looking at me like that and the clothes are coming straight back off.” Minseok stated without even turning around. 

“I'm not complaining.” At the words the older man dropped his jacket to the floor before even bothering to put it on. He moved over to Jongdae delicately before sitting on the younger’s lap, wrapping his legs around the lean torso and draping his arms over Jongdae’s broad shoulders. He placed a light kiss on the red heads lips before pulling away with a small smile. Jongdae pulled him in closer, their bodies pressed together in an almost suffocating fashion. Pulling Minseok’s face back to his he kissed him hungrily. The raven haired man let out a small moan into the kiss which drove Jongdae crazy.

Their kiss became deeper, growing more intimate second by second, slowly leading somewhere else. Jongdae’s hand began to wonder lower before a loud knock at the door caused both of them to jump. 

“We can hear you next door! Get dressed you don't have time to fuck!” Tao called through the wall, clearly sick of hearing the two of them through the painfully thin walls. Jongdae let out a little giggle before kissing Minseok one last time. The elder reluctantly removed himself from Jongdae’s lap and continued to dress himself. 

“You should get ready too.” He added as he pulled his leather jacket over his bare chest.  Jongdae laughed before standing up and starting to dress himself. Once both of them were half in their costumes Minseok sat on the floor idly as Jongdae messed around with his hair, styling it in a messy spiked fashion before placing a pair of black rabbit ears on his head. 

“I can't believe you bought these outfits.” Minseok complained as he stared at their reflection. 

“What? You look hot!” Minseok rolled his eyes. 

“Shut up I look like an idiot.” 

“There's nothing wrong with being a male playboy bunny so get over it.”  Jongdae stated firmly, standing by his choice of the costumes.

 

 

* * *

 

  
Eventually Minseok stopped complaining and they all set off for the night club. Much to their luck their Club was just out of bounds of the Hongdae district meaning they still owned the business. Minseok dedicated most of his time working at the club and actually managing it, it brought in money and it was an easy job so there were no complaints. Tao and Chanyeol had even taken the behind bar jobs, tending to people's drinks all night but tonight was everyone's night off. Tonight was the night to celebrate Chanyeol and Baekhyun’s upcoming wedding.  All of them flooded through the club doors and headed straight for the bar. After a couple rounds of shots the boys all got to a point of being buzzed. Jongdae watched as Baekhyun and Chanyeol danced together, dressed in their Vampire and Joker costumes to the music. The music flowed from song to song as Jongdae sat at the bar throwing back drinks, conversing with his friends. It'd been a long time since all of them had been together like this, smiles on everyone's face, practically care free. 

As the night progressed a familiar song came on through the blaring speakers. The familiar beat sent a rush of adrenaline through Jongdae as he quickly grabbed Minseok’s wrist and pulled him to the dance floor without a seconds hesitation. The grin Minseok bore matched Jongdae's. 

“You remember this right?” Jongdae asked excitedly as he wrapped his arms around Minseok’s neck. 

“The song we danced to the first night we went out.” Jongdae placed a small kiss on Minseok’s lips before he lost himself to himself to the music. 

As they danced the younger man found himself completely entranced in Minseok’s eyes as they danced to the heavy bass. Their bare chests bumped together as their hips grinded together, the raven haired man’s hands gripping on Jongdae’s waist tightly and possessively.  The lyrics rang through his ears, triggering memories from their first night together 2 years ago. Minseok’s lips curled into a smile as he sung along with the song. The elder leant in closer, leaving his lips lingering at Jongdae’s ear, softly brushing against the skin as he whispered. 

“You look really hot as a playboy bunny.” Jongdae’s cheeks flushed at the compliment and bit down on his lip. At the action he saw the lust that flushed through Minseok's eyes, from that look alone Jongdae could barely contain his excitement of what was awaiting him at home in their bedroom.  

They danced for a couple more songs before returning back to the bar where Sehun and Luhan were sat in a very drunken state. 

“AYYYYYY!” Sehun cheered as he saw the two approach. Jongdae shot a glare at Luhan. 

“Are you buying him drinks?” He asked. Luhan nodded as he took a sip of his drink. 

“Get a fucking job Sehun and pay for your own drinks.” Minseok said, trying to sound assertive but the smirk on his lips bore no threat. 

“When you're this pretty you don't need to buy your own drinks!” He giggled in return. Jongdae shook his head with a small laugh before ordering him and Minseok another drink. 

 

* * *

  
When the sun rose, seeping in through the bedroom blinds, forcing the eyes of the sleeping frames inside open. Jongdae awoke to find himself lying in a pool of his own vomit. A look of disgust distorted his features as he tried to remember the night before. The last thing be remembered being buying himself and Minseok more drinks. He pushed himself up from the hard wooden floor slowly, head full a raging pain that almost brought a tear to his eye. He staggered to the bathroom slowly, his headache worsening with each harsh and heavy step. Looking in the mirror he almost threw up again. The eyeliner he'd lightly pulled across his eyes the night before had been smudged down his cheeks, meeting with the dried vomit. His hair was an absolute mess, red locks sticking in each direction wildly, his bunny ears had clearly been discarded at some point during the night. 

Jongdae stripped himself of all his filthy clothes before stepping into the shower. The boiling water eased his headache slightly and soothed his sore muscles. He scrubbed his body clean, removing any remnants of the night before. He found the water refreshing and relaxing. The sudden opening of the door caught Jongdae off guard as he watched a silhouette move into the bathroom. Sharing such a small apartment with 4 other boys often lead to the lenience of sharing the bathroom when it was in use but Jongdae couldn't help but feel shy. He poked his head around the shower curtain to get a glimpse of who had entered the bathroom, much to his relief it was only Minseok. His boyfriend was staring at himself in the mirror just as he had when he first entered the bathroom. 

“You look like shit.” Jongdae commented. Minseok turned with a harsh glare. 

“I feel like shit.”

“I'm nearly done, a shower will make you feel better.” Jongdae suggested, feeling slightly sympathetic for his hungover boyfriend. He didn't wait for a reply before retreating back under the hot water, planning on finishing off his shower. The red head jumped when he felt Minseok’s arms wrap around his waist. 

“You couldn't wait?” He asked with a small smirk. 

“Nope.” Jongdae adjusted himself so they could both stand under the downfall of water, causing Minseok to release a small satisfied sigh. Seeing that the man was half dead Jongdae set about washing Minseok’s hair for him, cleaning him as the man stood idly. When all the soap suds were washed away the red head leant in for a soft kiss. He pulled away with a small smile and entwined his fingers with the elders. 

“I think I'm going to be sick.” Minseok groaned, causing Jongdae’s face to scrunch up in disgust. 

“How romantic.” The words had barely left his lips as Minseok rushed out of the shower and leant over the bathroom seat, emptying his stomach of all its contents. 

 

* * *

  
After wrapping a towel around Minseok’s naked frame and getting him a glass of water, Jongdae left him alone to get on with cleaning up his own mess in the hallway. He strolled through the living room to get to the kitchen when he spotted an unfamiliar frame on the couch. He edged closer to reveal that it was Tao and some girl that Jongdae had never seen before, needless to say the two were barely covered by a thin blanket that was draped over them. The morning wasn't getting any better for Jongdae when the realisation that Tao had just fucked some randomer from the street on their couch where they mostly ate their food. 

“Great.” He mumbled to himself as he headed into the kitchen. He gathered all the cleaning supplies he needed before starting to clean up. It was easy enough to get the sick all off the floor but the smell still lingered, causing Jongdae’s stomach to churn slightly. He headed into his bedroom to throw some clothes on as he was growing tired of constantly tightening the towel that was wrapped around his waist. Upon entering his room he was met with yet another surprise. In the bed that he and Minseok shared was Jongin and Sehun who had clearly drunkenly passed out upon the moment they reached the room. Jongdae lightly kicked the younger one in an attempt of waking him up. 

“Fuck off.” Sehun moaned, still sounding like he was half asleep. 

“You're in my room.” 

“And? It's an apartment it has lots of rooms you can go in.” Jongdae didn't see the point of fighting it, hungover Sehun was never a delight to deal with. He grabbed some clothes, pulling them on quickly in case the younger two saw before exiting the room. He sat at the kitchen counter with a cigarette perched between his lips. He let out a heavy sigh before he noted that Minseok had entered and started making the two a coffee. When the hot drinks were done he settled down on a stool next to Jongdae before looking up at him through tired eyes. 

“Some night huh?”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Riley here! Just wanted to apologise for the whole delay on this. I had the whole chapter written out and it mysteriously disapeared which needless to say really pissed me off. So i had to start again but with christmas, new years and going back to college I didnt have much time to write but i finally did it! I hope you enjoy it and love you all!


	11. Revival

Jongdae sighed heavily as he took a sip of his coffee. The memories of the night before still not returning. Jongin and Sehun had finally awoken and sat across from Jongdae and Minseok as they munched away at some left over rice for breakfast. The pounding hangover effected all four of them as they sat in silence, concentrating on how all of them wished for a quick death in that moment. Minseok was the first to speak. 

“So when are you two getting a job?” He asked seriously as he eyed the two young boys. Sehun shot him a confused look. 

“I'm not really good at anything except selling.” He admitted, his mouth full of food. 

“Yeah same here.” Jongin added.  Minseok rolled his eyes. 

“Yeah well it's not like we can do that anymore so you're gonna have to find something. It's not fair that the others pay your share of the rent.” 

“Why can't we do it anymore?” Sehun asked with an argumentative tone. 

“We just can't. We've all started new lives.” As much as Jongdae knew that his boyfriend was right, he couldn't help but side with Sehun with this, why couldn't they start up the gang again, enough time had passed. He didn't voice his opinion though, fearful of Minseok loosing his temper. 

“That's bullshit, we could easily start it up again. It's what Kris would've wanted. He didn't come all the way from China just to work his ass off for it all to lay down and die when he did.” 

“Don't talk about Yifan that way Sehun.” 

“No? You know it's true.” Minseok slammed his fist down on the table angrily. Sehun fell silent. Everyone knew what Minseok’s temper could lead to. 

“You two need to sort yourselves out and go get a fucking job, in fact, you're doing it today. Get the fuck out of my flat and don't go home until you two have jobs. That's an order.” Sehun rolled his eyes as he stood up.

“If you're not starting the gang again, why the fuck should I listen to you, you're not our boss.” He stated before pulling at Jongin’s sleeve, signalling that it was time to go. The two exited quickly and slammed the door on their way out which only caused Minseok to clench his fist. Jongdae turned to his boyfriend and brought his hand to play with the Raven hair comfortingly. 

“Hey, let's go out okay? The fresh air will calm you down and help with your headache.” Jongdae suggested. The elder looked like he was about to snap at Jongdae too before he visibly calmed himself. 

“Yeah. Fine.” 

 

* * *

 

Neither of them bothered with making themselves particularly presentable as they left the house, hair still wet, dark circles under their eyes and wearing clothes only made for comfort. Jongdae linked his hand in Minseok’s as they walked towards the subway station, earning them both a few harsh glares but neither minded. The looks never bothered them due to how dangerous they knew they could be if the situation demanded it. They found themselves heading towards Hongdae for the first time in a long time, neither had particularly intended to make their way there but there they were. They walked the familiar streets until they arrived at the coffee shop where they had both first met. Jongdae couldn't help but feel nervous as they entered the shop, it had been such a long time since he'd last been here and he'd changed so much. 

As they approached the counter he recognised his old friend and colleague. At first he didn't recognise Jongdae but soon the realisation settled in. 

“Oh my god, Jongdae?” Jongdae smiled a little. 

“Hey.” 

“It's been such a long time, how are you? What's been going on?” 

“You wouldn't believe me even if I told you.” He replied with a short laugh. His friend laughed along too. 

“With how you look now I feel like I would. So how come you're so alternative now?” Jongdae felt Minseok shift uncomfortably beside him. 

“Oh uh, I guess I've always been this way, I just didn't embrace it.” He said, letting out a small white lie. His friend’s eyes flickered to Minseok for a moment before nodding. 

“So what can I get you guys then?” The two ordered their drinks and some pastries before taking them over to a the table Minseok had sat at the first time he'd come to the shop. 

“It's so weird being back here.” Jongdae said as he watched Minseok sip at his cup. 

“Yeah I guess it is.” 

“Everything's changed so much.” 

“Yeah.” Jongdae quietened for a second, sensing that Minseok wasn't very into the conversation. He took a bite of his cake and swallowed silently, deciding it was best if Minseok instigated their topic of conversation. 

“Do you think Yifan would be disappointed in me?” He asked quietly. Jongdae almost choked on his drink, he really wasn't expecting that. 

“What do you mean?”

“I mean all of this. Do you think Yifan would've wanted me to keep everything still going, fight back and avenge him?” Jongdae took a moment to think about his answer. 

“Honestly? I don't know. I didn't know Kris that well, you're the only one who could answer that. But if it were me, I would’ve fought back…” He trailed off knowing it probably wasn't the answer Minseok wanted to hear. Instead of being met with anger like Sehun had been that morning Minseok remained calm. 

“Am I the only one who can see that this is better for us? For all of us. We're safe, stable and we can live our lives how we want to.” 

“We were safe in Hongdae.” Minseok’s jaw clenched in aggravation. 

“You're who Kris left behind as a leader so ultimately it's your call but you really need to think things through.” Minseok finished off his drink and cake silently before pulling on his jacket. 

“I need some time to think okay? I'll call you later.” Minseok said before planting a quick kiss on Jongdae’s cheek and exiting the café. The redhead sat for a moment before exiting himself and deciding to head back home. As he got off the train he found himself heading to the other’s apartment instead of his own, wanting to see if everyone was okay from the night before but ultimately he just needed Baekhyun’s friendship at that moment. 

 

* * *

  
He rung the doorbell and Kyungsoo buzzed him inside. He clambered up the stairs before entering the apartment. He greeted Kyungsoo happily. 

“How's your head?” The purple haired man asked. 

“Yeah it's okay, I went out for coffee with Minseok so I'm feeling a bit better. You?”

“Yeah, it's not too bad. I didn't get too messed up last night so.” 

“Oh, fair enough. Where are the others?” 

“The couple are camped out on the sofa, Junma is at work and The two boys came home earlier mumbling something about Minseok getting shitty before passing out in bed.” Kyungsoo said before leading Jongdae into the living room. The room was cloudy with smoke and it stunk of marijuana. Both Baekhyun and Chanyeol turned their heads as Jongdae entered the room, both smiling up happily at him, a joint perched between Chanyeol’s lips. The redhead slumped down on the couch next to them before Chanyeol offered the joint to him. The temptation was crazy. He wanted so badly to  
Just take the joint and get high but he'd been clean for just under a year now and if Minseok found out he'd be dead meat but it didn't change the fact he still missed getting high, just loosing the ability to give two shits. Reluctantly he shook his head and rolled himself a cigarette. 

“You guys sure you should be smoking that inside? Doesn't your landlord visit?” Jongdae asked. 

“That's what I said!” Kyungsoo called from the kitchen, trying to put his point across to the couple. 

“We used to sell meth Jongdae, We’re not worried about smelling like weed, chill out.” Jongdae could see that it wasn't worth arguing about so he changed the topic. 

“So how's your hangover, you both look pretty cheerful.” Baekhyun laughed. 

  
“We were still drunk when we woke up! So we're planning on keeping it that way!” Once again Kyungsoo could be heard calling from the kitchen. 

“Assholes!” Jongdae couldn't help but laugh. They chatted idly about nothing for a while before Kyungsoo brought in food and they all turned to the tv, watching some subbed American movie. They didn't talk much except from when Baekhyun would try and repeat a line in English, only to be scolded and corrected by Kyungsoo as he almost always got it wrong. It was a fun way to pass the time however he couldn't help but think about where Minseok was and what he was doing. He tried his hardest to push it from his mind but had no luck. 

Sehun finally emerged from his shared room before stumbling into the living room and pinching the joint that Chanyeol has only just rolled and took a couple drags. He watched the tv for a moment before his eyes flickered over to Jongdae. 

“Minseok’s not here is he?” He asked and Jongdae shook his head. 

“Good. He's a dick.”

“He's still my boyfriend remember.” Jongdae replied at the insult. 

“Yeah and you love dick so much you're dating someone with the personality of one.”  

“At least I'm not in my twenties and  a virgin.” Jongdae snapped back causing a red blush to consume the entirety of Sehun’s cheeks. 

“W-what? I'm not….” He was cut off by Chanyeol’s booming laugh. At the laughter Sehun stomped off to the kitchen in a strop.  Jongdae turned to Kyungsoo who was smiling at the whole interaction. 

“Who's Sehun rooming with?” Jongdae asked. 

“He's with Jongin.” Kyungsoo replied. 

“Swap with him, Sehun’s rooming with Junmyeon now, hopefully he can knock some discipline into him.” 

“That's fine with me, Junma is a loud sleeper anyway.” Kyungsoo agreed. 

 

* * *

  
It was needless to say that Sehun was not happy with this new sleeping arrangement, causing Jongdae to receive a few abusive texts from the younger but Jongdae simply ignored them, he had more important things on his mind. Both he and Minseok still pondered on their conversation from the other day but neither brought it up, only causing them to become slightly distanced. Jongdae didn't like how they now came home to both only fall asleep in their beds with only a small kiss but there was nothing he could do about it at that moment. He could see that Minseok was still set on keeping things the way they were but the more Jongdae thought about it, the more sense it made to get the gang up and running again. He knew that Minseok wouldn't step up to leading everyone back into their old ways so Jongdae took it upon himself. Sitting with Tao and Kyungsoo at night, planning how to get everything back to how it was. It became apparent to him that Minseok was the only one satisfied with their current situation. Jongdae hated going behind Minseok’s back like this, after all it had happened before and never worked out too well but this wasn't just about him, it was about the others and Kris. 

It was late at night and Minseok was still working at the club so Jongdae took matters into his own hands. A couple days after they had moved into their new homes Minseok had confiscated all of their guns and weapons, putting them all away in a box on the Top shelf of his closet. With the help of Tao, Jongdae got the box before emptying its contents, he took back the two guns Minseok had given to him as a gift before giving out those that belonged to everyone in the dorm before taking the box and placing it into the boot of Luhan’s car. The four of them drove the short journey to the other apartment before entering and handing out the weapons there too. 

“I forgot how amazing it feels holding one of these.” Jongin commented as he checked over his gun. The 10 of them all seemed satisfied with the return of their guns and knives before turning to Jongdae. 

“So what's next boss?” Junmyeon asked sincerely. Boss? The words felt heavy on Jongdae’s chest. Yes he'd wanted to get everything up and running again but he'd never wanted to be in charge, that was Minseok’s job and to take that job felt like pure betrayal. 

“Do you know how to get a hold of our old suppliers? We need to start selling again, build our respect back up.” He asked. Junmyeon nodded. Jongdae turned to Luhan. 

“Your job is to work on police influence, find a way to make them turn a blind eye to our activities.” Luhan looked unsure but agreed none the less. 

“The rest of you will be doing patrols around the city. Gathering as much information as you can about our rivals and their land, we've been cut off but we need to gain our allies trust again and ask for help.”

“That might be tricky. I heard that BTS formed a friendship with those Chinese bastards.” Tao added. 

“Well we’ll just have to prove that we're a more valuable asset. Tao, can you work on getting a meeting with their leader?” 

“I can try. No promises though.” 

They spent the rest of the night planning their next moves before someone brought up the dreaded question. 

“What about Minseok?” Jongdae's stomach dropped at the words. What about Minseok? How could he get him onboard with this, what would he do if he refused? He couldn't leave Minseok, he needed him too much but he couldn't just drop all of these plans just to be with him. 

“I guess we're gonna have to tell him.” Jongdae admitted before pulling out his phone and dialled Minseok’s number. 

“ _Hello?_ ” 

“Hey, have you finished work?”

“ _Yeah I just got off the train._ ”

“Can you come to the other dorm instead of home?”

“ _Uh yeah? Why?_ ” Minseok questioned. 

“I'll tell you when you get here, it's best said in person.” Minseok sounded uneasy from that point on but agreed none the less and hung up. He told the others that Minseok was heading over before grabbing a beer from the fridge to cool his nerves. It wasn't long until Minseok arrived and he entered the apartment. 

“What's going on? Why's everyone here?” He asked upon seeing everyone crowded in the living room. No one spoke up leaving Jongdae to do the speaking. 

“Well uh, we have something to tell you.” He said nervously. Jongdae didn't know what to say, the words just weren't forming on his tongue. Minseok shifted impatiently as he waited for Jongdae to speak. The redhead took a deep breath before he spoke. 

“Well, we've all talked and we've all decided that we want to start the gang again. We've already planned it all out.” Minseok stared at him, his expression unreadable. 

“Are you serious?”

“Uh, yeah.” 

“So you've been going behind my back again? God Jongdae you're such a selfish asshole.” He snapped as he rubbed his temples. Jongdae didn't say anything, wanting Minseok to say all he had to say before talking again. 

“Why do you keep fucking doing this to me?! Every time I start trusting you again you pull shit like this that just makes me seem like a gullible dick. Do you not think about anyone else?”

“Of course I think about other people! Why do you think I'm here helping everyone out?!” Jongdae argued back. Minseok let out a harsh laugh. 

“That's bullshit. Everything you do is for you and you alone. The whole time we've known each other it's always been about you!” The words were poison on his tongue but by this point Jongdae had become immune to such poison. 

“Whatever. You joining us or not?” Jongdae said in a monotone tone. His boyfriend stared at him like his heart had been completely ripped in half. 

“No.” That word did hurt. That word was what would ruin everything. The word made Jongdae angry too. What gave Minseok the right to say no when Jongdae had been forced into this himself. 

“Am I the only one who sees that this is better for us? Baekhyun and Chanyeol are engaged for fuck sake, they need to settle down together, maybe start a family one day, do you honestly think that's a good idea to do in that environment?!”

“You can't speak for me and Baek, this is what we want.” Chanyeol added. At that moment Minseok looked so small. With all 10 of them ganging up on him he was no longer scary and that's when Jongdae realised that Minseok wasn't to be feared. He was just a man. A man that felt just like they did, hurt just like they did. Over the past years Jongdae has idolised Minseok, seeing him as an untouchable figure that couldn't be pushed from his pedestal. Minseok’s eyes were wide as he stared up at Jongdae. 

“What about us? You know what that place did to us.”  He said quietly. 

“There's only an us if you join.” Jongdae replied, the words were painful, it was like reliving the night where he'd first left Minseok. The elder nodded his head bitterly and bit down on his lip. 

“Okay then.” He whispered before turning on his heel and exiting the apartment. Jongdae simply stood, surrounded by his brothers as the stared up at him sympathetically. Jongin approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“He’ll come around.” He said softly before Jongdae pushed the hand away harshly. 

“Don't fucking touch me.” He growled before storming out the apartment too.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I wouldn't usually do this at the beginging of a chapter but I've made a playlist that I listened to whilst writing this chapter! If you wanna check it out the link is here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcCVPCKV3xVkYPS8k7iBJGMSYO52M-A4O! 
> 
> I also want to apologise in advance for this chapter...
> 
> \- Riley

Minseok could barely breathe as the sprinted down the street. The evening was full of a chill that crept under his skin and the rain poured so insistently he could barely see in front of him. Of course it was raining though. Of course Mother Nature had to mock him further by sending a small scale monsoon to drench him at that moment, one of his worst moments. Where he was running to he didn't know but all he knew is that he needed to get away. He needed to sit and think for a while whilst being isolated from the world. Sadness consumed Minseok as he made his way through the winding streets, shoving past strangers roughly without even a glance their way in apology.

Growing tired he settled down in a small shelter in a park not far from home. He sat for a moment, staring out into the rain simply staring, not a single thought going through his mind. It was just him and the rain. He stayed like that for a while before the impending thoughts of what had just happened fought their way back to the centre of his attention. His chest was heavy and his eyes watered but he didn't lose control, he refused to. It was at times like these when he wished so hard that Yifan was still alive. That he could sit next to his friend who would hit him playfully before telling him to get a grip of himself. He missed his friend so much it hurt. Just thinking about Yifan caused his heart to ache but now it ached twice as bad, he'd lost Jongdae too.

Over the last months Minseok had formed a little habit, no one knew except him and he planned to keep it that way. Whenever he found that things were getting too much for him he found himself dialling Yifan’s number. Today was no different and he brought his phone to his ear, which had thankfully been protected from the rain inside his leather jacket. Of course the phone didn't ring once, sending it straight to answer phone where he heard the familiar voice.

 

“It’s Kris, you know what to do.” The beep came soon after and Minseok began to speak.

 

“Yifan, I fucked up. I lost Jongdae again….” He could barely even finish his sentence before he lost all composure and began to cry. His shoulders shook violently as the sobs wracked through his body, causing his lungs to ache and his eyes to sting.

 

“Please come back Yifan, I've lost everyone. I miss you so much.” He choked out down the phone before hanging up. He buried his face in his hands and continued to cry, not caring that someone could walk past at any minute. He was too far gone to care about how he looked at that moment, he didn't care at all. He'd throw his image and ego away in a heartbeat if it meant he could get Jongdae back but he knew it wouldn't work out.

Since the day Minseok happened to be strolling through Hongdae, only to spot the most beautiful man he'd ever seen through the window of the coffee shop, he knew Jongdae was the one. He knew from their very first conversation that he was going to fall so hard in love with that man at some point in the future and he did. As much of a kind hearted and warm person Jongdae had been when they first met, Minseok knew he was selfish. It was so apparent that the curly haired coffee shop boy put himself first always, even if he didn't realise it but Minseok pushed it aside, he wanted him so badly at that point it didn't matter.

What Minseok couldn't wrap his head around was how someone who was so clearly his soulmate be so cruel. He knew with every inch of his body that the two of them were absolutely meant to be together but they were just so incompatible, Minseok with his terrible anger, jealousy, possessiveness and insecurities; Jongdae with his lack of moral structure, selfish tendencies and untrustworthy actions. Both of them were flawed beyond compare, their personalities constantly clashing but God did their bodies fit perfectly together. Just the trace of Jongdae’s finger on his skin set his whole body on fire and his heart racing. Minseok knew he loved Jongdae so much more than the other could ever realise but if Jongdae claimed to love him back, why did he keep hurting him? How could you intentionally bring pain to someone you claimed to love?

 

* * *

 

Minseok didn't keep track of how long he was sat under that small shelter in the cold but after a long while his hands had become completely numb and his tears failed to come any longer. The rain hasn't stopped for even a second, meaning Minseok would have to walk home in it. He didn't particularly want to go home, after all Jongdae and the others might be there and the last person he wanted to see right now was Jongdae but his pride still had the best of him and he refused to be driven out of his own home due to a break up. As he headed off on the short journey, the rain soaked him, wetting the hair that had only just started to dry. It was only a 10 minute walk before Minseok found himself outside the apartment. Upon entering it looked like no one had come home yet which sent a sense of relief through Minseok. He headed for his bedroom that he shared with his ex-lover and pushed open the door softly. On the floor Matt, an unlit cigarette perched on his lips was Jongdae. The dark brown eyes shot up to meet the elders and they held the gaze. Jongdae stood up shyly before approaching Minseok; he brushed a few strands of wet hair out of his face with slender nimble fingers.

 

“You're soaking.” He murmured. The palm of his hand caressed this cheek softly and it lingered there.

 

“You're freezing too.” He could see that Jongdae was nervous as he slowly pushed Minseok’s jacket from his shoulders and onto the floor. His fingers hesitated for a second as they grasped the hem of his shirt. He waited a moment before pulling the wet material over his head.

 

“What're you doing?” Minseok asked quietly.

 

“What does it look like? I’m getting you out of your wet clothes.” He replied just as hushed. Minseok ran a hand through his wet hair and let out a sigh. Jongdae placed his hands on the elder’s shoulders, touch as light as a feather. He leant in close, kissing Minseok softly. Jongdae’s lips were gentle against his, filling his stomach with butterflies. When the redhead pulled away he simply stared at him.

 

“Why are you doing this?”

 

“Because I still love you and you love me too otherwise your eyeliner wouldn't be smudged like that.” he purred in return. Jongdae's fingers slowly trailed down his body, tracing each outline of his tattoos down his chest and stomach. The light touch sent a shiver down Minseok's spine and he let out a soft breath. He leant forward and buried his face in the crook of Jongdae's neck, just allowing his body to be ghosted over. The smell of the familiar cologne filled his nostrils and made him light headed, he loved the way Jongdae smelt. He fitted so well against Jongdae's body, they were perfectly shaped for each other, it was as if the stars themselves knew that one day the two of them would be destined to be together but here they were. Minseok knew that Jongdae was only doing this in one last desperate attempt of making him stay and honestly? It was working. Just the sound of Jongdae's breath in his ear was enough to make Minseok cling to the slender frame for the rest of eternity but he had to stick to his guns. He couldn't back down from this, he believed what the others were doing was just so wrong, there was no way he could change his mind.

 

"You know doing this won't make me stay right?" Minseok said, voice shaking.

 

"If it won't, at least it can be a good last memory?" the redhead suggested. The words sent a lump to his throat and he felt his eyes well up again. It was at that point that it became entirely clear that Jongdae was completely prepared to cut him from his life completely if it meant that the gang would get back together. How could someone who's arms who fitted so perfectly around him be so prepared to let go? How could someone who claimed to love him be so prepared to discard that affection completely. It made him question if it was even real, if the whole thing had been completely one sided this whole time. Now that he thought about it, everything he'd done had been forceful and possessive over the younger man, was saying 'I love you' to Minseok easier than just rejecting him?

 

"Jongdae?"

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Do you honestly love me?" he asked cautiously, knowing that either answer would hurt just as equally as the other did.

 

"Are you an idiot? I love you more than anything in the world, you're my everything." Minseok was right to think that the answer was going to hurt. Jongdae might as well have ripped his heart out and handed it to him at moment, which might've hurt less to be quite honest. He couldn't hold back anymore and the elder began to cry again, body shaking in Jongdae’s arms. The thought that Jongdae returned his affections but was throwing them away was just too much. How could he be so cruel? Minseok pulled away, tears still streaming down his face. He went to leave before Jongdae grabbed his wrist.

 

“Please don't go Minseok; we can be together, just join us!”

 

“No!” Minseok yelled. At this point he had become a complete victim to his emotions, he had no control over what he said or did.

 

“Why are you doing this to me?! Why can't we just be happy like normal people?!” He continued. His knees began to wobble and he sunk to the floor. He looked a mess at that moment, having a full on break down in front of Jongdae but he couldn't stop himself. Why didn't Jongdae want the same things he did? Didn't he want to settle down? Was Minseok just not exciting enough for him? So many questions whipped through his mind yet the only sounds he could make were strangled sobs. Jongdae sunk down to his level and wrapped his arms around the broken man. He started to hush him whilst stroking his hair comfortingly but it had no effect.

 

“I wanted so many things for us. So much but you just want to turn back to a time that was so toxic for us.”

 

“its how we fell in love Minseok, how can you say it was toxic?”

 

“We hurt each other so much back then and you don't even seem to care.” He cried. Jongdae didn't say anything, if Minseok was right he'd say that he didn't know what to say.

 

“Tell me one more thing Jongdae, what did you see in our future?”

 

“Oh-uh, well. I don't know.”

 

“I saw us moving out. Getting married. Having a daughter, growing old together peacefully.” He admitted. Jongdae clung to Minseok tighter at the words.

 

“I want that too.”

 

“Bullshit. If you did you wouldn't be getting everyone back together.” Once again Jongdae didn't know what to say.

 

“Can you go? I think I need to be alone now.” He said, wiping the tears away from his face. Jongdae looked unsure, after the show he'd just seen Minseok could hardly blame him.

 

“If that's what you want. I'll be in the living room.” He leant in one last time and placed a kiss on Minseok’s forehead before getting up to leave. As soon as the door was closed behind him Minseok jumped to his feet, quickly stuffing some belongings inside of his rucksack. It was such an odd feeling to be the one leaving this time. It was always Jongdae who had left him before this. Would Jongdae hurt as much as Minseok had when he had left? He didn't think so, if Jongdae was so willing to lose him it couldn't possibly hurt that much when he actually did. Come to think about it, Jongdae didn't even shed a single tear just now. Not one. Minseok had collapsed in a sobbing mess and Jongdae’s eyes didn't even water, how was that possible?! Not for the first time in their relationship Minseok’s sadness morphed into anger. He pulled on some clothes before slamming the door open and heading towards the front door; he heard Jongdae’s bare feet pattering against the wooden floor as he chased after him but he didn't turn back, he couldn't.

 

* * *

 

He sprinted down the several flights of stairs before running out into the pitch black streets. It was still raining. He didn't stop for a second as he ran into the road which was a big mistake, through the rain a pair of headlights shone on him from a rapidly approaching car at the sight of it. He was literally a rabbit in headlights when he realised he couldn't move. He didn't know why but no matter how much his mind screamed at him to keep running he just couldn't. Did he want to get hit? After his experience with Jongdae just now it wouldn't be too farfetched if he subconsciously wanted to get hit, right? The car was so close, it could hit at any second and he still couldn't move. He scrunched his eyes shut, desperately not wanting to see the impact, he couldn't do it.

His whole body was stinging as he landed with a thump. The concrete was so harsh against his bones, causing each and every one to ache. He still hasn't opened his eyes, too scared to see what had happened to him but it appeared he was still alive. Just as it had been when he was standing, he couldn't move however this time it was because it was too painful to move, even breathing seemed like an impossible task, it seemed to him that climbing Mount Everest would be easier. The rain still pattered down on his skin however this time, it hurt, harsh droplets crashing down onto what must be bruises. He heard a familiar voice shout from nearby, he couldn't quite remember the name it matched to.

 

“Holy fucking shit! Minseok!” Jongdae called from across the street. In an instant the redhead was knelt beside him.

 

“Minseok can you hear me? Please tell me you can hear me?” Minseok managed to slowly crack his eyes open, it was so dark outside that Minseok thought he'd hadn't actually opened his eyes but the glare from Jongdae’s phone highlighted his features in the darkness.

 

“Hey my boyfriend just got hit by a car, you've gotta come straight away there's blood everywhere, please!” Blood everywhere? Minseok didn't feel like he was bleeding, then again it wasn't like there was a specific feeling of bleeding except from pain and he felt pain everywhere at that moment. Jongdae hung up the phone before holding his face between his hands.

 

“An ambulance is on its way okay? You're gonna be okay.” Jongdae kept on repeating that he was going to be okay but to be quite honest it was more like he was chanting it to himself rather than to Minseok. It felt like an eternity before the ambulance arrived and by that point Minseok was having trouble keeping his eyes open, he was just so tried all of a sudden, his eyelids felt like they had weights pulling them down. By the time they'd pulled him into the vehicle, he was out cold.

 

* * *

 

Three cracked ribs, a broken ankle, severe friction burn up the left side of his body and a broken nose, not to mention a few piercings that had been ripped out. As bad as it sounded Minseok thanked his lucky stars every morning. Nothing serious had occurred meaning he wasn't in any threat of his life. Yeah he was in a wheelchair when he needed to move and someone else had to help him with every single mundane task that requires more than one hand but he was alive. The pain was I believable but they kept him pumped full of drugs meaning he rarely felt the pain to the full extent. Although Minseok was considerably pissed off about the countless amounts of tattoos that had been completely ruined from the burns. That was a lot of money he was never getting back.

Jongdae hadn't left his side since he'd found him on the street. Every night he slept in the arm chair next to Minseok’s bed, hands interlocked together. The others had all come to visit on separate occasions which were quite impressive considering he'd been in hospital for 3 days. Everyone who had visited him wore a guilty look on their face; all of them feeling like it was somehow their fault that Minseok was idiot enough to get hit by a car that night. Jongdae looked the guiltiest of course, Minseok knew exactly what was going on in his head, and he was blaming himself for leaving him alone in the bedroom, for letting him run off, for not comforting him better. He had to admit, he did get a spiteful pleasure from seeing Jongdae like that, it was the least he deserved. Although Jongdae was there at all times and they almost never let go of each other's hand, they barely spoke. The other night still being the main topic on their minds. Minseok spent all of his time wondering why Jongdae was still here. They'd more or less said their goodbyes so why was he here, making it harder on both of them?

On the fourth day it was finally time for Minseok to be discharged and sent home; of course Jongdae was the one who wheeled his broken frame down the halls. He stared at his reflection in all the windows they passed and turned his nose up at the way he looked. His face was disgusting. The bruising and cuts that circulated around his nose started off deep before they faded off, meeting with the severe grazing on his left cheek and jaw. The nose itself was crooked which annoyed him, he'd liked his nose after all. The rest of him was clothed which meant that the ugly burns and grazes were hidden from view but he could feel them at all times. He stared down at his leg cast as he was pushed out of the hospital, he thought he'd hate having it on but it was surprisingly light but he dreaded the day he'd have an itch under there. The sun shone down brightly, causing Minseok to cover his eyes, there had been a window in his room however due to the size of the building, direct sunlight was blocked by other parts of the building, meaning Minseok didn't get to see it for 4 days.

They ended up getting an organised journey back home which was very helpful, considering Minseok was in a wheelchair and getting into a normal car just didn't seem like fun. It wasn't long until Minseok was back into the familiarity of his home, surrounded by his own and his flatmates belongings. Jongdae’s surprisingly strong arms had wrapped around him and lifted him from the chair and placed him on the couch. Minseok bit back a cry as he did so, of course he didn't mean to but he had crushed his already injured ribs and rubbed his sore burns in the process. Jongdae slumped down onto the floor next to the elder.

 

“Do you need anything?” He asked. Minseok shook his head.

 

“Are you going to be speak to me? I've been with you for four days solid and you're barely said a word to me.” Minseok didn't want to look at him as he spoke. The words weren't angry, they had no spite in them, and Minseok could sense the sadness behind them.

 

“There's nothing to say.” He admitted which he thought to be more or less true. The other night Jongdae had made it completely clear that they were not to be together in the near future so to speak to Jongdae as nothing had happened would be too hard, he needed to prove to himself he could get by without Jongdae. Of course he knew he couldn't, not this time around.

 

“Please speak to me.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because I miss talking to you. You're funny, sweet, interesting and intelligent, why wouldn't I want to talk to you?” Minseok listened but chose to completely ignore what he'd just said, it was flattery. Manipulative flattery at that, trying to pull him into a conversation if he felt like he was truly appreciated. When Jongdae had learnt to be so manipulative he didn't know, maybe it was something he'd learnt from Minseok?

 

“Can you put a movie on please?” He asked sincerely, Jongdae stared at him for a moment before complying, walking over to the DVD stack, grumbling away under his breath. Minseok allowed himself a smirk, Jongdae was a bit of a sore loser. The two settled down and began to watch whatever drivel the redhead had put on. To be quite honest Minseok wasn’t even watching the movie, his pain medication made him drowsy so he barely paid attention to the television however it was a good excuse to pretend to be distracted. Jongdae knew Minseok hated it when people spoke through movies.


	13. Going Away

There was only so much time before Jongdae had to finally start leaving Minseok’s side, plans were slowly coming together and the others had a higher demand for him. He always made sure either Luhan or Yixing stayed home with the injured man, even if he was busy he still made it a high priority to make sure Minseok was taken care of. Tao had made surprisingly quick process with getting a meeting with their old allies. He, Tao and Luhan sat in the car driving throughout the city. It was a long Journey, travelling through the districts but eventually they arrived. The meeting had been organised to be in a public place where anything that went wrong would be shown publicly, this made both sides feel much safer. 

“So anything I need to know?” Jongdae asked nervously. To be quite honest he had no idea what he was doing or what to say to the leader of this group. 

“Don't be rude, he hates it when you're rude.” Luhan replied. 

“Oh and try not to keep eye contact for too long, he punched Minseok in the face for that once!” Tao added, a little too excitedly for Jongdae’s comfort. They headed into the restaurant where they were led to a table in a private room out back. It was a dim room, decorated in deep reds and gold. Upon entering the room the three bowed politely to the man sat the chair. Two people stood behind him, both looked incredibly young. 

“Take a seat.” Their leader said and Jongdae complied, sitting opposite him with the others stood behind him in a similar fashion. The blonde leader placed his gun on the table before pulling his hands back onto his lap. 

“Weapons on the table.” He added and the three complied. The whole situation was nerve wracking for the redhead but he kept a cool composure in front of the other leader. 

“I don't think we've met before, I'm Namjoon, I take it you're Chen?” 

“Yeah that's me.” 

“It's nice to see you two again. So I can't help but wonder, where's Minseok?” Namjoon asked. 

“He's not a part of this anymore.” Jongdae admitted. Namjoon chuckled quietly. 

“Good, I hated that bastard. A bit too cocky for his own good, you know?” Jongdae laughed along. 

“Oh you have no idea.” The mood quickly changed to a more serious one as Namjoon’s expression changed. 

“Well I know you didn't come here for chit chat and introductions, what do you want?” 

“Our alliance back. We're starting our shit up again but we can't do it without help. I know you and Kris were friends, I was hoping that still meant something to you.” Jongdae said, face stern but still remembering what the others had warned him of. 

“That's a dangerous request. I know Zhang Wei still has a price on your heads, it's taken me this long to form a friendship with him and his men. What do you have to offer me that he can't?” The blonde leader scoffed. The two young boys laughed quietly to themselves. 

“We plan on taking Zhang Wei down. Taking back our turf and his. With your help we can do that. If we win, we’re prepared to half his territory with you.” Jongdae offered. 

“You wanna take them down? I guess I already knew that, well consider yourselves lucky. I hate those bastards as well and I want them gone. They steal all my customers and I'm done with that shit.” Jongdae smiled in a silent victory, maybe this leading business was easier than it seemed. 

“Thank you. It's very kind of you.” Jongdae thanked with another polite bow. The two of them continued to talk, Namjoon updating Jongdae on everything that they had missed whilst out of the loop. The redhead stored each piece of information in his head carefully, desperately trying not to forget any of it, knowing it maybe important at some point. 

“You need someone on the inside, that's all you can do at this point.” Namjoon stated. 

“What do you mean?” 

“I mean, last time you went head to head with them Kris got shot and you all retreated with your tails between your legs. This time it needs to be an inside job.”

“How do we do that?”

“Well one of you is gonna have to go running to them and beg Wei to let you in. You've got Chinese members right? Send one of them. Someone not too obvious.” Jongdae didn't like the idea of that, it was way too dangerous and surely Wei would see right through it? He knew all of their faces. His thoughts were cut off when Luhan spoke up. 

“I'll do it.” Jongdae turned to the ginger man. 

“Are you sure? You know you could die right?” 

“Yeah, I'll do it for Kris.” He confirmed. 

 

* * *

  
They planned out for hours, coming to the conclusion that in two weeks time Luhan would approach their base. In the mean time Namjoon made sure that none of them were to sell or do anything unordinary. For this to work they needed to stay completely under the radar, if Zhang Wei even got the slightest inkling that EXO were active again Luhan would be dead in an instant. During this time Luhan quit his job, spending time with his friends, especially Minseok. The two were always together, Luhan constantly helping Minseok into his wheel chair and taking him out about the city, With the two of them together Jongdae hardly got a moment alone with his old lover. No one had told Minseok of this new plan, Luhan didn't want his best friend to panic or worry over him. 

The Raven haired man’s recovery was coming swiftly and by the time it was time for Luhan to leave, Minseok’s ribs had healed, meaning he was now on crutches rather than a wheelchair. After a long shift at the café, Jongdae came home to see the two of them hugging on the sofa and speaking quietly. Not wanting to interrupt them Jongdae hid silently around the corner, peering around curiously. 

“Why do you have to go?” Minseok asked quietly, voice full of sadness. 

“I miss my family, there's nothing for me here anymore. I just wanna go home.” Luhan lied. Minseok looked so sad at the words, Jongdae felt his heart ache at seeing Minseok like that. 

“If you go I won't have anyone left.” Those words hurt, Jongdae was there for him wasn't he? It was Minseok who was distancing himself, not him. 

“You’ve got Jongdae and all of the others. They love you, they don't want you to leave. We wouldn't have put up with your princess ass all this time if we didn't.” 

“Jongdae's gonna leave me. I still haven't changed my mind you know. When he does, then what do I have?” Luhan sighed and rubbed his temples. 

“I'm saying this because I'm your friend and only because I'm your friend. Grow the fuck up. You have a man who loves you more than anything, you have friends all around you and you're acting like a spoilt brat. Frankly Kris would be disappointed. He didn't put you as second in command for you to doss around moping like a little bitch.” 

“Fuck you Luhan.” 

“It's the truth. Now man up and take your place or fuck off with dignity.” Minseok fell silent and averted his eyes from his friend. Jongdae saw this as a good time to announce his arrival home. He stomped around the corner loudly with a large smile. 

“Hey guys!” Minseok shifted uncomfortably from Jongdae’s entrance but Luhan welcomed him warmly. Jongdae's eyes scanned the room, it was an absolute mess.  Empty food wrappers, beer bottles and ashtrays littered everywhere. 

“Guys, everyone's gonna be here in an hour, this place is a shit hole.” He complained. Jongdae had organised for everyone to come round for beers and take out to see Luhan off. Even though China was lie no one knew when they’d next see Luhan, it could be weeks or months before he next got into contact with them, they all wanted to give him a proper send off. 

“Oh yeah, sorry about that. I would've tidied but we started talking.” Luhan apologised

“That's fine. How you feeling Minseok?” He asked as he stood behind the couch . 

“Yeah I'm fine.” He replied bluntly. Jongdae wasn't expecting anything other than a short answer but it still pissed him off.  He busied himself alongside Luhan, cleaning up the apartment and making it look presentable. Minseok simply sat on the couch resting his leg with his headphones in. He was looking much better now, the bruising around his nose had healed into a pale yellow colour and his grazes had scabbed over in the healing process. The stitches of his eyebrow piercing had finally dissolved leaving a small scar on his eyebrow. Mentally, Jongdae had no idea how he was feeling, since the break down he'd barely even smiled at Jongdae, let alone opened up about his emotions. 

Jongdae hated the way Minseok would always have scars reminding him of that day, of how they'd nearly parted ways and of how Jongdae had stood in front of him so willingly ready to break his heart. Just looking at Minseok reminded him of the crying mess on the floor, he can't imagine how Minseok must've felt about it. It wasn't long until Yixing and Tao finally got home alcohol in hand, the two of them started helping prepare the house. No one really spoke much about the fact Luhan was leaving, everyone was worried but no one wanted to voice it. 

 

* * *

  
Minseok barely left Luhan’s side the whole night, always joining in on his conversations, muttering away in Chinese when he wanted to say something private. It was sweet and sad. Jongdae could only imagine how it felt to loose so many people, now his only remaining best friend was bailing on him too. They'd all ordered a vast amount of Chinese take out that littered the floor with plastic containers and beer bottles. The night went by with no issues, except a small spat between Baekhyun and Sehun when Baek had thrown a chopstick at Sehun’s face. Apart from that everyone enjoyed the evening late into the night, it was nearing 3 am when they all started to vacate the premises, all hugging Luhan tightly. Eventually it was only Luhan, Yixing, Tao, Minseok and Jongdae left. 

The three boys chatted away in their native tongue, which always happened when they started drinking. It was almost as if beer made them forget they were bilingual, Jongdae didn't mind though, he'd become pretty good at the language, especially since he started living with them. 

“I'd love to go back home for a while, visit my mother and family.” Yixing admitted. Luhan smiled sweetly and rubbed his shoulder comfortingly. 

“There will be a time for that.” 

“I guess so.” Yixing replied before letting out a loud yawn. 

“I'm going to bed.” He announced before retreating off to their bedroom. The other two followed suit not long after, leaving Jongdae and Minseok alone. Jongdae went around the room quickly tidying for the second time that day before turning to Minseok. 

“You sleeping here tonight or in the bedroom?” Since he'd been injured Minseok more or less lived on the couch, sleeping there every night but Jongdae suspected that was more so to get away from him than anything. 

“The bedroom. This room smells like food.” Jongdae nodded before offering Minseok a hand. The elder took it before pulling himself up and grabbing his crutches. He hobbled down the short hallway to their shared bedroom. He stood idly by the door for a second before blushing ever so slightly. 

“Mind helping me get undressed?” He asked sheepishly. Jongdae complied and began unbuttoning his shirt. If it were several weeks back, there was no way this could’ve happened without the two of them ending up tangled in their sheets but Jongdae knew that wouldn't happen. He didn't go slow and he didn't touch lightly. He pulled Minseok’s shirt off whilst supporting him slightly and dropped it to the floor. The burns on Minseok’s side were gruesome, his whole left side scabbing over. 

“Yeah it's pretty ugly isn't it?” Minseok asked. 

“Not ugly.” Jongdae admitted, he didn't really know what to say to be quite honest. 

“It's sad.” He finished. Minseok looked to the floor before Jongdae began to pull off his trousers, they dropped in a heap and he hopped out of them, using his crutches as a balance. Minseok shifted his weight to wrap his arms around Jongdae’s neck so he could drop his crutches. The younger boy helped his elder down onto the bed roll and undressed himself. He switched off the light leaving the room illuminated by a small lamp that sat on the floor next to their bedspread. He crawled under the sheets and laid next to Minseok awkwardly. 

“It's really painful y’know.” Minseok said quietly. “Honestly I wish there was something that could take my mind off of it.” 

“Yeah?” Jongdae didn't know where Minseok was going with this, honestly it was the most he'd spoken to him all week. The bedsheets rustled slightly before Minseok's hand trailed it's way to Jongdae’s. He grabbed the younger's wrist and slowly pulled it closer, delicately settling it on his crotch. Jongdae’s hand tightened around the half hard member which earned a slight gasp. In an instant Jongdae was on all fours hovering above Minseok, bringing his lips to his fiercely. It had been such a long time since they last had such contact with each other. 

Minseok was equally as hungry with the kiss, hand gripping Jongdae’s red locks tightly as if he was scared to let go. Jongdae leant deeper in, bumping their noses together which earned a pained cry from Minseok. Caught in the moment Jongdae had forgotten how fragile his partner was. 

“I'm sorry!” Jongdae exclaimed, not siure what to do. 

“It's okay, just be careful.” Minseok breathes heavily before pulling Jongdae back down. From that moment on the redhead was much more gentle with his lips, he was almost scared as he rolled his hips down on Minseok. When there were no cries and no objections he took it as a sign to keep going. The friction between them was just so good that Jongdae could barely stop himself from moaning into his lover's mouth. Jongdae’s lips trailed down Minseok’s jawline, moving slowly down his body. He kissed along his collarbones before sucking roughly, leaving deep bruises along the skin. He worked down to his right nipple where he flicked his tongue, causing Minseok to let out a breathy gasp. He was careful not to touch any sensitive areas, he only ghosted over his ribcage with his lips, not wanting to cause anymore pain. Finally he was low enough to spread Minseok’s legs slightly and start to kiss between his thighs. He edged his way up ever so slowly teasing him as much as he could. 

He never stopped looking up at Minseok, his face when contorted in pleasure was always Jongdae’s favourite thing to see. Minseok’s cock twitched in anticipation, pushing up against his boxers. Jongdae smirked against Minseok’s thigh before sinking his teeth into the soft flesh. Minseok let out a loud whimper before burying his face in his hands. Jongdae’s heart beat heavily against his chest, adrenaline running through his veins reminding him that this moment was just so right. He eased his elders boxers down before wrapping his hand around the erect member and flicking his tongue over his slit. He slid his tongue down the entire length slowly before engulfing his cock. He bobbed his head up and down, taking the whole length in his mouth and running his tongue down the underside. He held down Minseok’s thighs as they trembled, seeing his elder like this was just too much. He couldn't keep up with the foreplay much longer, so desperately pining to ride Minseok. 

“Do you realise how hot you look sprawled out like that?” Jongdae growled as he slid up back to Minseok’s mouth. He kissed him gently before reaching over for a condom and some lube that they stashed away in their bedside table. Using his teeth he opened the packet and positioned the condom on the tip of the elder’s member before he stopped him. 

“No, I want _you_ to fuck _me_.” Minseok panted. At first Jongdae didn't know what to do, hovering above Minseok idly unsure what his next move would be but the thought processed in his mind causing his hard on to verge on painful. Just the thought of Minseok’s face contorted in pleasure whilst the redhead slammed into him relentlessly could’ve had him coming in seconds. He rolled the condom down his member before squirting a fair amount of lube onto his fingers. He pressed one inside of Minseok slowly, allowing the elder to get used to it but he didn't seem phased. He continued cautiously adding one finger at a time, stretching him out but Minseok grew impatient.

“You're acting like I've never had a cock in my ass, just hurry up and fuck me already.” He whined. Minseok didn't need to say it twice, at the words Jongdae readjusted himself so he was ready to enter his lover. He bent forward and kissed Minseok yet again before hooking his arms under the other’s legs, hoisting them up to allow him a Better position. He pushed in slowly, revelling in the heat that was surrounding his length. He let out a small cry once his whole member was in. 

“Oh my god Minseok.” He stared down at his lover who was sprawled on his back, secretly wanting to photograph this moment to that the sight of Minseok's face could stay with him forever. He began to move his hips slowly, being careful of not jolsting Minseok too much, his leg was still injured after all and having his burns rubbing against the floor obviously couldn't feel too good either. Minseok's hand found its way to his own member and began to pump in time with each one of Jongdae's thrusts. He bit down on his lip in a feble attempt of stopping himself from screaming out but the sounds escaped him none the less. Jongdae had never topped before, even back in the brothel he was pinned down and fucked as nothing other than the bottom but here he was, slamming his cock into the only person that mattered to him and damn did it feel good. He was overcome with such a rush of power, he was in charge, he was the dominante one and now he finally understood why Minseok used to act the way he did. With such power over someone else its so easy to bend them to your will, to make them beg for more. It all finally made sense.  

"You feel so good." Minseok gasped as Jongdae managed to hit that perfect spot. Just hearing Minseok's voice amungst this sensory overload had him edging closer to his orgasm in a matter of seconds but suprisingly Minseok beat him to it, spilling his seed all over his tattooed stomach. With a few last violent thrusts, Jongdae found himself reaching his climax and with a low moan he came. 

He stayed dead still momentarily, catching his breath and processing what had just happened. In a matter of seconds he found himself diving for Minseok's lips, pulling him into a hungry kiss which was just as eagerly returned. Reluctantly he finally pulled away from the contact and hovered over Minseok, staring deeply into his eyes.

"I fucking love you." Jongdae growled. Minseok kissed him yet again before grinning up at him.

"I love you too."


	14. Letters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! i'm so sorry this update took forever. Its not the best chapter ever and i apologise for that but i felt awful for not updating in a while so i've been writing for a couple hours now and its 2am so imma get this posted and get some sleep because i am so tired! I promise i'll get working on the next chapter as soon as possible and i promise it'll be a much better update! Thank you so much for supporting me and reading my story, it means a lot! Love you all!  
> \- Riley

Each morning was so bitter sweet. As the sun rose and shone through their blinds, the two would find themselves intertwined, bodies drenched in sweat from the closeness of their skin but neither wanted to pull away. It was as if they lived each night as their last together, never wanting to let go of each other. Concerning the gang and Luhan’s position no one had heard a thing. No letters, phone calls, packages, absolutely nothing. Jongdae often found himself worrying for his elder, at times he would find himself on the phone to Namjoon, asking for updates but even he knew nothing. It was 2 months before contact was made with their Chinese member, Jongdae had awoken to a small brown envelope in their post box downstairs addressed to him. Checking that Minseok was still asleep when he returned back to their apartment, leaning on the kitchen counter he ripped open the envelope, revealing a letter.

“ _Chen,_

_Initiation was a success but they watch me like a hawk. This is my first moment alone. It may take some more time before they trust me. I will contact you again when it is safe._

_Luhan._ ”

He stared at the letter for a while hoping to find some kind of secret message amongst the words but none were to be found. It seemed like the waiting was to continue but he was glad at least to know that Luhan was safe. With a sigh he folded up the letter and shoved it in his trouser pocket before making a quick breakfast for himself. He was barely even a couple bites into it when his phone began to vibrate, it was Baekhyun.

“Hey Baek, I’m- “Jongdae didn’t even finish his sentence before Baekhyun interrupted him.

“I’ve been waiting for 10 minutes! If you don’t hurry up, we’ll be late to work!” he moaned. Glancing at the clock on the wall Jongdae realised just how late he was running and a small wave of panic rushed through his veins.

“Shit Baek, I’m coming now!” he replied before hanging up, not wasting time on hearing his nagging friend’s response. He rushed around the apartment, grabbing his coat and bag before sprinting down the apartment block stairs and down the road. By the time he met Baekhyun at the park entrance he was completely out of breath, heart beating so hard against his chest it hurt and his throat so swollen that even the smallest breath was painful. Baekhyun looked him up and down with a disapproving look.

“You need to work out more.” He tutted before heading into the park with Jongdae following not too far behind. He decided against coming up with a witty response to his friend, concentrating more on catching his breath, it honestly had been such a long time since he exercised properly. It wasn’t long into the walk before Jongdae showed Baekhyun the letter, who was just as disappointed with the message as Jongdae had been.

“Well, at least he’s safe right?”

“That’s what I hope anyway.” Jongdae said as he smoked his cigarette. Baekhyun’s eyebrows furrowed.

“He better be safe or I’m filling a fucking swimming pool with their blood.” He muttered. Jongdae chose not to reply to the statement, it was best not to let Baekhyun get too angry just before work, they both needed the job too much.

 

* * *

 

 

Work was boring as it usually was, working as a barista was far behind Jongdae now. After he’d joined EXO the job had become too mundane, too simple and too aggravating. Before he’d taken such joy in sitting with customers and finding out all about them but now he found himself clenching his fists if they even replied to ‘how are you’ in too much detail. It didn’t help that with the new look he had adapted, customers liked to stare especially the older customers who tutted at the sight of him. It grew tiresome, constantly being looked at like he was about to cut someone and drink their blood. At first he’d approached it with a warm smile, brushing it aside but these days he was as bitter as the coffee he served. Of course Baekhyun was still a small bundle of joy no matter how the customers treated him. Jongdae often found that the hours dragged on, finding it hell leaning on the counter of a more or less empty coffee shop while he waiting another 3 hours for a 15-minute cigarette break. He tapped his fingers impatiently on the counter as his eyes glazed off into the distance, slipping into a day dream. The sound of a china cup hitting the counter next to him caused him to jump and he looked down to the source of the sound. Baekhyun had placed a cup of coffee next to him as he sipped on his own.

“Thanks man.” Jongdae mumbled as he brought the hot liquid to his lips and blew down to cool it.

“It’s slow today isn’t it? Do you reckon Mr Lee will let us close early if it stays this dead?” Jongdae simply shrugged, as nice of an old man their boss was, he still wasn’t the type of guy who would risk losing any money, even if it meant keeping the store open an extra 2 hours for the sake of one customer buying one cup of coffee. Baekhyun finished his coffee before heading off to start clearing tables and giving them all a wipe down, it wasn’t like they needed it, they’d been wiped at least 4 times each that day but it was something that made it look like Baekhyun was actually doing something. The familiar sound of the bell that rung whenever someone entered the store rung and Jongdae’s eyes shot up, ready to serve the customer. A wide smile swept across his face as a similar frame hobbled through the doorway with one leg in a cast.

“Hey babe, how’s work?” Minseok asked with a small smirk. Jongdae rolled his eyes before leaning over the counter and placing a quick peck on Minseok’s lips.

“Please save me, I’m going insane!” Jongdae complained as he turned to start making Minseok’s coffee. It wasn’t rare for the black haired man to find himself sat in the coffee shop keeping Jongdae and Baekhyun company through their shifts, it had been such a long time since Minseok had been in the shop due to their arguments and his injuries but he was finally at the healing stage of being to walk around freely on his own.

“I’m sure you are, its practically empty here! Hey Baek!” Minseok noted. Baekhyun beamed with a bright smile before chirping back a happy greeting in return. It didn’t take Jongdae long to make the coffee as usual, Minseok took it black. He slid the mug over the counter before looking back up at Minseok’s scarred face. The skin was slathered in concealer and foundation in a desperate attempt of hiding the bad scarring but Jongdae couldn’t help but think it just made it look more obvious.

“You know you’re beautiful right?”

“What the fuck Jongdae?” Minseok asked, brows slightly furrowed.

“I’m just saying that it doesn’t matter what hurts you and what leaves a mark, you’ll always be beautiful to me.” Jongdae caught the slight blush that graced Minseok’s cheeks but the elder kept a cool exterior.

“Are you gonna keep up this lovey dovey crap or do I have to go sit on my own somewhere?” the red head chuckled at the statement.

“I’ll stop. I’m going out for a cigarette now anyway.”

“I’ll Join you.”

 

* * *

 

 

Minseok hadn’t been at the coffee shop for long at all before Baekhyun decided that it would be an amazing idea if Minseok and Jongdae went on a double date with him and Chanyeol. At first the idea didn’t seem particularly appealing but both agreed just to get Baekhyun to shut up about it. After their shift was over the three of them hopped into Minseok’s car, despite the coffee shop only being a short walk away Minseok still had a cast, which by that logic he shouldn’t be driving at all but just because he wasn’t in the gang anymore it didn’t mean Minseok had any more respect for the law. Minseok tried to pull up in front of Baekhyun’s but oddly this evening there was one too many cars parked outside. They managed to get a parking spot before making their way to the apartment. Inside Jongin and Kyungsoo were sat with a group of other guys who Jongdae had never seen before. One sat oddly close to Jongin, his bright white hair appearing over the couch. All eyes turned to the trio as they entered and Jongin smiled.

“Minho?” Minseok questioned as he entered the room, the man he was clearly addressing smiled brightly and approached him for a friendly hug.

“Minseok?! It’s good to see you!” Minho greeted. The black haired man turned to Jongdae with a polite smile and bowed. “Nice to meet you, I’m Minho!” Jongdae returned the favour and introduced himself, taking note that Minho had called Minseok by his real name.

“Hello, I’m Jongdae!” Minseok leaned in close to Jongdae before talking quietly.

“These are some old friends of EXO, they’ve been very loyal and kind to us over the years.” Jongdae liked the sound of that. Some more potential allies to taking down the Chinese gang? Jongdae took a moment to introduce himself to the other 4 strangers who were named Jinki, Jonghyun, Kibum and Taemin. It turns out that these five, although not big enough to actually form a gang, had a lot of respect and land within Seoul, nearly everyone knew who they were and they were go to for supplies. Their speciality was smuggling. If you possessed a gun or drugs, you could guarantee that you only possessed it because these guys helped get it to you. The five of them were the best allies you could have. If you were on their good side, it meant you are your men would be fully equipped with the best weapons and you’d be selling only the finest goods. They sat and spoke for a while as they waited for Chanyeol to dry his hair from his shower. The five of them were nice enough and Jongdae got on well with them, but he couldn’t help but notice how close Jongin and Taemin were, he had the slightest inkling that there might’ve been something a bit more than friendship between them. Eventually Chanyeol and Baekhyun were ready to leave and the four bid their goodbyes before heading back for Minseok’s car.

“So where are we actually going?” Minseok asked as he slid into the passenger seat, Jongdae had convinced him previously that it was probably much safer if he drove.

“It’s up to you, movie, drinks, food, some touristy bullshit?” Chanyeol suggested as he secured his seatbelt. Jongdae mulled over the options in his head, honestly after work he could definitely go for some food.

“Well I’m starving, food and then something after?” Jongdae suggested. No one objected and they discussed where they wanted to go as Jongdae drove around. They eventually settled on the idea of getting a McDonalds. As simple and cheap as it sounded, Jongdae couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten fast food like that, it just wasn’t somewhere he went anymore and he had the feeling the others were in the same situation. They pulled up in the car park of the nearest one and all flooded inside. They ordered their meals which were made quickly and they took their seats. Jongdae found himself sitting on Minseok’s lap instead of sitting next to him, with his arms wrapped around him. He smiled down at his boyfriend before kissing the tip of his nose lightly, earning a fanged grin from the elder. The redhead opened up his boxed meal before shoving a chicken nugget in his mouth, then taking another and placing it in Minseok’s mouth. As his lover chewed down his food, he turned to look at Baekhyun and Chanyeol who were smirking at them.

“What?” Jongdae asked, no idea what they were so smug about.

“Just you two, you’re something else.” Chanyeol chuckled as he ate his food. Jongdae rolled his eyes before eating some more also. He watched as Baekhyun slapped his fiancé’s hand with a scowl because he stole a fry from his tray. Jongdae’s attention was drawn back to his boyfriend when he squeezed the redhead’s thigh hard.

“More!” he demanded before opening his mouth wide jokingly, awaiting Jongdae to place more food inside.

“Lazy ass.” Jongdae joked as he fed him a couple fries. When Minseok was finished chewing he pulled Jongdae in tightly and attacked his cheek with several kisses, causing Jongdae to giggle and squeal. Their friends joined in with the laughter at the sight of Jongdae’s limbs going into spasm from the ticklish sensation. They played around for a while as the four ate their meals slowly. By the time they had all finished it was getting late so they vanished outside for a cigarette. Baekhyun and Minseok however decided that they both wanted a mcflurry so they finished smoking quickly and disappeared inside. Chanyeol was the first to talk between them however his conversation topic was not as light hearted as the whole evening had been.

“You know you’re just digging yourself a bigger hole right?”

“What do you mean?” Jongdae questioned with uncertainty clear in his tone.

“Well you and Minseok, you both know you’re gonna break up soon and you’re out acting like this.”

“We won’t break up.”

“Well, have you changed your mind? Are you dropping out of EXO?” the silver haired boy asked.

“No.” Chanyeol continued with another question.

“Has he? Is he stepping up and joining us?”

“No.”

“Then why are you still trying?”

“Because I love him?” Jongdae returned, he sounded so unsure of himself at that moment, once again Chanyeol was spouting truths that hurt to hear.

“Are you sure that’s enough?” Jongdae didn’t get the chance to reply before their boyfriends burst out the door ice cream in hand. With a forced smile to show that nothing was wrong, Jongdae wrapped an arm around Minseok and leant the side of his face on top of his head.

“So what were you guys talking about?” Baekhyun questioned curiously.

“Oh we were just talking about how annoying you are.” Jongdae replied with a laugh, hoping the response wasn’t too fake and didn’t come too fast. When no one questioned him, he took a sigh of relief. Despite it being late into the night, none of them really wanted to go home so Jongdae took it upon himself to drive them all to the Han River. Stopping off at a liquor store on the way, the four found themselves lying on a grass band, swigging at a beer, watching the black water flow, only visible from the streetlights that illuminated it. The two couples weren’t sat too close together, Baekhyun and Chanyeol taking some space so they could make out without feeling too embarrassed, not that they would’ve anyway, its them after all. Minseok laid between Jongdae’s legs, resting his head against the redhead’s stomach as he stared up at the stars.

“This is like out first date.” Jongdae noted as he played with his boyfriend’s hair lightly.

“Yeah it is.”

“That was a good night.” He said with a small smile for the memory.

“I’m glad we came out tonight, it’s been a long time since we did something like this.” Minseok replied, grabbing Jongdae’s free hand and kissing it.

“You’re in a very kissy mood tonight aren’t you?” the redhead chuckled. Minseok grinned up at him cheekily.

“What? I like kissing you!”

“Well if that’s the case!” Jongdae laughed before leaning down and kissing Minseok, lips moving slowly against his. The kiss deepened but only ever so slightly, Chanyeol’s words still floating around in Jongdae’s head, he was almost scared to delve back in too deep, he knew he wouldn’t be able to get back out again. He pulled away for air soon enough and forced another smile down to his lover who flashed back the most beautiful smile.


	15. Leadership

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. I'm so sorry this chapter took FOREVER. I'm like so distracted these days and I never just sit and write, but it didn't help that I felt bad that I wasn't writing so I decided to do a longer chapter but because I did a longer chapter it took longer to write because I wasn't writing??? Anyway. For a while I was kinda at a loss with the plot, I had no idea where I was going with it but I did some research, gathered up a lot of new inspiration and I have amazing plans for this story so I hope you guys enjoy. 
> 
> I finally got a laptop so guess what!? I CAN WRITE AS MUCH AS I WANT YAAAAAASSSSS. BETTER FORMATTING. QUICKER UPDATES.  
> ~ Riley  
> P.s how about that fuckinf exo comeback in 9 days too man

Minseok was finally working again. He spent nearly every afternoon in the club sorting through paperwork and finances. With the money no longer coming from the gang, to say keeping the club up and running was difficult would be an understatement. The bills were high and sales were only getting slower but he still persisted. When alive, Yifan had taken pride and joy in the establishment, he worked so hard to get it to where it was and Minseok wouldn't let that go to waste. Everyday he made sure to finish up his paperwork before heading down to the club floor where he would help the boys open the bar and prep for the evening. After all was ready and people started to arrive he would then travel home to share a meal with his lover. Minseok had drilled this routine into himself, routines were what normal people did right? Minseok sighed as he shut down his computer, tired from a whole day of work. He gathered his belongings and headed downstairs. To his surprise it wasn't just Chanyeol, Zitao and Jongin (who had now been forced to work here) downstairs. Sat at the bar with a drink in his hand was Jongdae. No one had noticed Minseok’s entrance yet, keeping themselves occupied in whatever conversation they were having. The black haired male was about to make his presence known before the door of the club opened and a small group of 5 entered. All heads turned in their direction, including Jongdae who's eyes rolled and he spoke. 

“The club doesn't open for another hour. Fuck off and come back later.” Minseok’s eyes widened at the words, it was painfully apparent that Jongdae had no idea who these guys were. The insulting greeting was such a mistake it made Minseok cringe. The orange haired male stood at the front looked disgusted, his mouth opened to snap back something harsh but Minseok quickly interrupted him. 

“GD! Long time no see! Please excuse Chen, he's new and thinks he's in charge.” At the words Jongdae shot Minseok a dirty look which was happily returned. GD still looked pissed as his eyes flickered over to Minseok.

“You need to pick up the slack, apparently your dogs think they can bark now that Kris isn't around.” He said. 

“Oh trust me, he's not getting away with that.” Minseok ensured. “Anyway, what can I help you with, it's rare you're this far away from your district.” GD paused for a minute, the others behind him shifted slightly, unsure on what their leader would say next. Minseok knew all of their faces, all five of them being the most powerful men in Seoul, they practically ran the city. Stood behind the infamous G-Dragon were his closest allies, Taeyang, TOP, Daesung and Seungri. 

“This city isn't as big as you may think. Rumours travel round fast. I hear that you have someone on the inside and plan to bring those Chinese cunts down from the inside out.” Everyone was quiet for a moment, peering over at Jongdae, Minseok couldn't help but notice the face full of shame, but why? Who could they possibly have on the inside? Only 4 of their members spoke Chinese fluently, With Kris dead, Luhan in China and Yixing and Zitao constantly being home, it couldn't be any of them. Then it hit him. Luhan. Jongdae had sent Luhan off packing to infiltrate Zhang Wei from the inside. Anger flared up inside of him, how could Jongdae even consider that as an option?! Luhan was Minseok’s best friend after all. He took a deep breath, realising that loosing his cool in front of GD wasn't a good idea. 

“That's our plan. We're just waiting for more information before we make our move.”

“Good. I’ll send men to help you with this. Consider it a favour. Who else is a part of this.” Luckily Minseok wasn't as clueless as everyone thought, although he wasn't directly involved in the gang, he received all information from Yixing about what was happening, what Jongdae was going. He wasn't completely in the dark. 

“BTS have agreed to help. SHINee are on the boarder, they want to help but you know what they're like. They won't do anything without your agreement first.” GD smiled smugly at the words, his ego being boosted just the smallest bit. Minseok allowed his eyes to flicker over at the others, Jongin, Chanyeol and Zitao only looked confused but Jongdae looked horrified. He'd clearly realised that Minseok was not as in the dark as first anticipated and that we was probably pissed beyond compare. He wasn't wrong to think so and it wasn't the first time but honestly what Jongdae was thinking and feeling in that moment was probably punishment enough. Minseok couldn't help but notice how all of them had stayed where they were, near Jongdae. If he had been recognised as a leader like Kris they would've stood behind him, defensively as a team but he stood alone. GD’s men noticed and seemed just as smug as their leader, excluding their maknae Seungri who he knew was mentally away with the fairies. Taeyang leant closer in to GD, speaking barely above a whisper. 

“How do you know if we can trust them? We had alliances with Kris not Xiumin.” Minseok approached them so he was no longer calling across the room to them. 

“They kidnapped and tortured one of my men. They killed my leader and best friend. They took my land and nearly everything I own. We worked our way up from the streets because of them and t hey now have my closest friend in their grips where they can do anything to him. Do you think I'm honestly in a position where I have nothing but pure hatred for those bastards?!” 

“Maybe you wanted Kris dead? Wanted to be in charge.” Taeyang retaliated. Minseok glared at him. 

“I think it's your dogs that need a muzzle now GD.” He growled. GD laughed sadistically at that. 

“I think you're right.” And with that the leader turned on his heel, bringing a knee with all his force to Taeyang’s stomach, winding the younger causing him to fall to the floor with a pained grunt. The boys behind the bar jumped in shock but GD’s other men didn't even blink. Jongdae stared at Minseok, questioning who the fuck they were interacting with that would turn on his own men like that. Minseok simply shrugged it off, the smug prick got what he deserved. 

“We’ll meet weekly. I want to know everything regularly. You'll receive the details in a couple of days.” GD stated before exiting the club, Daesung bending over to help Taeyang as soon as their leader was was out of sight.

* * *

 

For the first 10 minutes of the drive Jongdae didn't say a word. Simply keeping to himself, probably scared of yet another argument with Minseok and honestly? He wanted to give him one. 

“You could've been shot y’know.” The elder stated. It took Jongdae a couple of moments before he formed a proper response. 

“Why? Who is he?” He asked quietly. 

“Don't know his real name, he’s been going by G-Dragon for years now. He's the leader of the biggest gang in Seoul. Essentially he was Kris’ boss.” 

“What'd you mean?” 

“I mean if he's not cool with something that anyone in this city does then expect to be dead by the end of the week. He's fucking dangerous. In this city he's got more power and influence than the fucking government.” Minseok continued. He had to ensure that Jongdae was perfectly aware of how dangerous that man was. 

“Why haven't I heard of him before?” 

“Honestly I have no fucking idea. You said you were stepping up as leader, you even acted upon it and you did it with no knowledge of who you'd be dealing with?! It's fucking stupid. You're meant to be in fucking charge and you don't know your allies and rivals from your left asscheek.” At those words Jongdae looked just as riled up as Minseok was. 

“Yeah. I am the fucking leader so why didn't you let me lead. You're not even involved in this! What gave you the right to talk to GD for me?!” The redhead snapped. Minseok couldn't help but laugh. 

“Because no one of importance actually recognises you as a leader. You need to remember you're the fucking new kid. You've played boss for too long. I'm stepping in and actually making this gang mean something again.” 

* * *

  
The others had mixed feelings about Minseok’s decision to stand up to his true roll. Many didn't understand where Minseok’s change of heart came from but Chanyeol was happy to tell everyone how he had ‘GD up his ass’ as he phrased it. Minseok didn't care though, he was in charge and he didn't need their permission. It was two days before GD contacted him. He'd awoken to a letter on the counter in the kitchen addressed to Xiumin, Jongdae must've brought it up before he left for work. Ripping the envelope open and pulling out the small bit of card inside he read:

‘Han River tomorrow night at 23:00 pm . Bring whoever else is involved. We’ll find you there.’

He couldn't help but sigh as he placed the card back down on the counter. Getting involved with Namjoon was never his favourite, he knew the leader didn't like him and the feelings were mutual, especially after that one time Namjoon punched him but he'd have to put those disregards aside. He punched in the number into his phone and awaited an answer which came surprisingly quickly. 

“Xiumin.” Namjoon said, voice none too friendly. 

“GD wants you and me at the Han river tomorrow. Bring two guys.” He replied, his tone just as cold. 

“And why can't Chen tell me himself?Surely he's not too busy that he has to get his boyfriend to?” The other leader questioned, spite so clear in his tone. 

“Because Chen doesn't run shit over here anymore that's why. Just meet me at the usual place, if you're a no show its GD’s anger that's a problem. Not mine.” And with that he hung up. It turned out that Yixing had been present for pretty much the whole conversation. He sent Minseok a small smile before the elder slid the card along to him. 

“Need me to come with you?” He asked sincerely. Minseok couldn't help but smile back, being in a gang wasn't a place for the kind hearted. Everyone was selfish, your morals became non existent. It was every man for themselves except Yixing. The boy had done terrible things with the others, yet the regret was always clear on his face, his kindness never disappeared. 

Minseok had always found Yixing’s story the most interesting, it was so different to all the others who had started out as orphans, kicked out of their homes. Yixing actually had family and he had a proper life. He'd been practically a genius since the moment he was admitted to school, flung through with straight A’s. He'd even graduated early with a scholarship to learn nursing in Korea. He'd flown from home as only a teenager and worked his way through medical school. Eventually all the years of studying paid off and he had a placement as a nurse in one of Seoul’s biggest hospitals. That's where he had met Yifan. Back then EXO was barely established and Yifan worked his ass off alongside Minseok to get themselves recognised but it was hard. Yifan was constantly being hospitalised during fights and random attacks from rival gangs. Despite the numerous numbers of nurses and doctors in the whole establishment, Yifan and Minseok always found themselves being treated by Yixing. Despite never saying a word about it though, Yixing managed to figure out just what it was the two of them did. Minseok was never sure if Yifan actually asked him or if it was a decision he made by himself but suddenly, Yixing had resigned from his job and was working for Yifan. 

He was a great asset to them, and still is, he was who they went to with their injuries. Minseok loved Yixing and everything about him, he was a kind and loyal soul but he never understood why Yixing made the decision to leave the hospital. It was a stupid decision, compared to the rest of them, Yixing could've had such a brilliant life for himself but he threw it away. 

Despite how helpful Yixing was and clear he was about how much he loved his members, there was always a certain sadness in his eyes and Minseok hated that. 

“Do you miss it?” He asked curiously. Yixing’s brows furrowed in confusion, it wasn't exactly the answer he was expecting to his question. 

“Miss what?” 

“China, the hospital, any of it?” Yixing was quiet in thought for a moment before replying. 

“Well yeah, I miss my Grandparents everyday. It doesn't mean I want to leave here though.” Minseok chuckled slightly before placing a hand on Yixing’s shoulder. 

“I thought you'd say something like that. You've been a loyal friend, I'd be honoured if you came tomorrow.” Minseok stated sincerely. Yixing pulled him into a hug which Minseok graciously accepted before uttering 4 words that put a weight in Minseok’s heart. 

“I miss Yifan too.” And that's when it hit Minseok. He wasn't the only one grieving. 

* * *

* * *

The meet up came quickly and he sat in the car with Yixing, Jongdae and Baekhyun. He decided to bring Jongdae along to satisfy Namjoon, also he knew that Baekhyun would be sour if he wasn't invited too. It hadn't been till that morning that Minseok was able to contact Minho but surely enough he promised to come. The sky was black and the streets were starting to quieten, the riverside was practically empty by the time they arrived excluding the odd dog walker or jogger. As they exited their car the three spotted another three, their leader with familiar white hair. Namjoon stood suspiciously, hand hovering by his gun holster, as did his two men. Minseok recognised the two as V and J-hope, he couldn't help but feel like Namjoon picked those names because honestly they were laughable. His expression was cold when he caught sight of Minseok but he didn't care. The two leaders stood in front of each other and bowed despite their general distaste for each other. 

“Why'd you step down Chen, can't handle it?” Namjoon questioned, sarcasm apparent in his voice if you just listened hard enough. 

“He's better at it.” Jongdae admitted reluctantly. The sentence sent a small boost to his ego and he smirked slightly. 

“Hate to admit it but it's probably true.” The blonde admitted. J-hope sniggered quietly earning a glare from the other 6. They fell into a silence for a moment or so, knowing this wasn't the right place for talk of their plans but not knowing quite what else to say. Minseok couldn't help but notice the way V and Baekhyun stared at each other, brows furrowed in what looked mostly like confusion, he simply dismissed it. Luckily their silence was broken quickly when the sound of feet approached them. GD lead the way followed by TOP and a woman who Minseok could recognise a mile away. He could almost hear everyone's jaw drop at the sight of her, even Baekhyun and no one loved cock more than Baek! They had barely reached the two leaders before another set of footsteps much faster were heard, Minho and Taemin came running up to the meeting. 

“Sorry we're late!” Minho said with a wide grin before bowing. Everyone bowed formally to GD and his recruits before he said a word. 

“It's kind of clear why we're all here today.” GD stated, expression blank and tone firm. Everyone hummed in agreement. 

“What information do we have so far? Luhan is on the inside right?” Minho questioned. Minseok flickered his eyes over to Jongdae, signalling for him to explain. 

“Luhan joined a couple months ago. We've only heard from him once. His initiation was a success but they don't wholly trust him yet. He's watched like a hawk.” Namjoon’s brows furrowed at the words. 

“Being watched like that it's so risky, one wrong move, he's dead and the whole operation is up in smoke.” 

“They wouldn't kill him. They'd torture him until he begged to be dead. Even then they'd keep on going until he was nothing.” CL, the woman, said. Her tone was serious, no ill intent in her voice. The words made Minseok feel sick, he couldn't believe his best friend was in such a situation. If that scenario did come true, he didn't know if he could ever forgive Jongdae for letting it happen. Baekhyun was also clearly unsettled by the words, he noticed the way Baekhyun glanced down at his 4 fingered hand, disgust consuming his features. 

“You said one of your men was captured and tortured. Was it Baekhyun?” GD asked curiously. Baekhyun didn't even pretend to act surprised that GD knew his name, he knew everyone in this city. 

“Yeah it was me.” He admitted stepping forward slightly. “I was starved, beaten, burnt, electrocuted and they cut off my finger.” Baekhyun’s voice was so quiet, thinking about it clearly still upset the boy. 

“You were a ransom for Kris’ life.” Minho added quietly. There was a sympathetic silence for a moment and Jongdae rubbed a hand comfortingly on the small of Baekhyun’s back. As usual the most powerful of them was the silence breaker. 

“So our next step is?” 

* * *

  
They didn't return home to their apartment until 1am. GD had pretty much taken over the whole operation, planning out everything himself, Minseok preferred that though, GD got his status for a reason and he wouldn't trust anyone else with this. It proved that Baekhyun was more helpful than first anticipated, he knew more than he thought he did about the lay out and helped everyone gather a faint idea. It had barely been a week but Minseok was sick of constantly thinking about this. He just wanted to go back to worrying about whether he and Jongdae were staying together and how Luhan was in China. Now that he thought about it, ever since he stepped up Jongdae had barely crossed his mind. 

Entering their bedroom, he undressed himself for bed before sitting on top the bed Matt, pulling out a well needed cigarette to his lips. After lighting it he took a long inhale, the smoke feeling like a breath of life invading his lungs although ironically it was the opposite affect. After realising that Jongdae wasn't on his mind, it was like all the thoughts he would've had flooded into his mind at once because of one trigger word. He couldn't help but think about how good Jongdae looked sat at the bar the other night, how cute it had been when he walked in to Jongdae passed out on the sofa with a bowl of ramen resting on his stomach, how sexy he had looked when he got out the shower this morning. That thought stuck the most though. The thought how Jongdae had walked into the bedroom, towel wrapped dangerously low around his hips. His hair messy from where'd he'd roughly rubbed it with a towel, but still droplets fell from his hair and rolled down his chiselled chest. 

He'd loved the way Jongdae had looked undressed from day one but now more so than ever. He loved every tattoo that sat on his skin and just thinking about his nipple piercings sent a shiver down his spine. One hand still held his cigarette while the other slowly made its way down his boxers, wrapping his hand around his half erect member. He blew the smoke out his nose as his hand pumped slowly. He closed his eyes as he imagined his hand as his lovers rubbing his cock ever so slowly. He adjusted his position so his back was slumped up against the wall. His hand felt good as he rubbed himself but he knew he wanted more. He wanted Jongdae’s wet tongue to slide down his cock and take his whole length inside his warm mouth. It seemed that his wishes became true because moments later, the door slowly slid open.

“Me and the boys are heading down the club, we were just wondering if you want-“ Jongdae’s words cut off when he finally took in the scene before him, staring down at his boyfriend who was sprawled across their bed matts, breathing heavy, forehead beading with sweat and touching himself. He didn't say anything for a moment before stepping out the room slightly. 

“On second thoughts I'm gonna stay in with Minseok tonight!” Jongdae called to the others, earning a very loud Wolf whistle from Zitao. Jongdae rolled his eyes as Minseok smirked before sliding the door closed. 

“Help me?” Minseok offered with one eyebrow raised, biting down on his lip ring. Jongdae didn't even say a word before he pounced down on the elder, smashing their lips together with great force. Their lips danced together violently, sending an ache through their skin, bruising the soft tissue but they didn't care, both too hungry for each other. With one arm wrapped around Jongdae’s waist and one held firmly on his ass, grabbing it roughly, Minseok didn't wait a single second before he began grinding up on Jongdae. The rough texture of his jeans felt amazing being rubbed against Minseok’s cock and he let out a small moan which was swallowed by Jongdae’s mouth. It was just moments like this that made it all worth it for Minseok. All the heart ache, pain and anger was just washed away every time their lips touched. Jongdae was oxygen and Minseok was drowning. 

Minseok’s body was on fire with only the slightest brush of Jongdae’s fingers. It was as if every cell in his anatomy was calling out for his lover, wanting him closer and closer until it was hard to breathe. Jongdae’s clothes were too much separation, he craved the feel of his bare chest pressed against his desperately. He tugged at the shirt roughly, signalling with no words to take it off. Jongdae complied happily, his lips barely leaving Minseok’s before returning hungrily. Minseok couldn't believe how much he loved this man, Jongdae was his everything and he'd never loved so hard before in his life. 

“I…..fucking…..love…..you…” Minseok muttered between the rough kisses. He had to vocalise it, words couldn't explain how he felt though. Jongdae hesitated for a moment and pulled away slightly. Panic washed over Minseok, they'd said those words a million times but what was so wrong about it this time? The room was silent excluding the sounds of their heavy breaths. Jongdae’s chocolate brown eyes stared down at his, burning through the iris. The red head looked like he was trying so hard to form words, his tongue shooting out to lick his already wet lips. It took a minute before the words finally formed. 

“Marry me.” He blurted. It wasn't even a question, it was said as a demand at most. The two words baffled Minseok beyond everything. It was there. The proposal was there. Jongdae had offered himself to Minseok until the day they died, his and his alone for forever and eternity. Words wouldn't form, instead Minseok nodded excitedly, smile bright before interlocking his lips with his new fiancée almost immediately. Jongdae smiled into the kiss, corners of his mouth turning up, just the way Minseok adored so much. Everything about the redhead was beautiful and now he was Minseok’s. Ever so slowly, Jongdae moved off of his lover, dragging him along too so they were both on their knees. The two pulled away for air, taking the chance to clamber to their feet. Minseok backed against the wall where he felt the taller’s body press into his, Jongdae’s hard cock pressing against his jeans. The raven haired males hands worked their ways down to Jongdae’s jeans, unbuttoning them with shaky fingers, he yanked them down, followed by his underwear also, leaving him stood nude. Jongdae followed suit and removed Minseok’s boxers before taking one hand and holding their cocks against each other. Slowing thrusting into his hand and against Minseok. A small gasp left the elders lips. 

Minseok’s nails dug into the skin of Jongdae’s ass as their cocks rubbed against each other, causing Jongdae to moan loudly. Jongdae’s lips ventured down Minseok’s olive skin, tracing lighting along his jaw bone before sinking his teeth into the soft skin of his neck. 

“Fuck.” Minseok growled. One hand found itself entwined in the red locks, tightening around the soft hair and yanking the head back, exposing Jongdae’s pale throat. His tongue traced down the tendons of his throat before Ghosting over his prominent collar bones. The touch of his mouth became more aggressive, sucking and nipping at the skin leaving a trail of dark bruises. To be quite honest Minseok was so sick of waiting, he was sick of foreplay. He wanted to be inside of Jongdae so badly that the ache was apparent in every vein. Leaning over to their draws where they kept the lube, he squirted it onto his fingers before passing the nearly empty bottle to Jongdae who poured the cold gel onto Minseok’s member, causing a shiver to travel down his spine. The elder reached round so his fingers were slowly circling Jongdae’s entrance which anticipated more excitedly. He decided to stop teasing when Jongdae’s hand wrapped around his cock and pumped his fast, smearing the lube along his member. He entered Jongdae and wasted no time before he started fucking Jongdae hard and fast with only his fingers, which only earned the same in return. The two leaned their foreheads against each other, heavy breaths only becoming heavier and heavier with each movement of their hands. 

“How do you want me?” Jongdae asked, voice low and raspy, eyes half lidded in pleasure. Biting his lip, he leant forward, wrapping his arms around the back of Jongdae’s thighs. He hoisted up the younger male who wrapped his legs around Minseok’s bare waist. He spun the two of them around so Jongdae was now pressed against the wall. Distributing all of his lovers weight onto one arm, he positioned himself at Jongdae’s entrance. Minseok couldn't help but appreciate the pure strength and flexibility of Jongdae’s body, using his thighs alone, he lowered himself, allowing Minseok to press into him. The high pitched moan that escaped Jongdae’s throat was euphoric, mixed with the warmth around Minseok’s cock. He'd forgotten how good it felt to be inside of Jongdae, he'd been fucked on the floor so roughly for so long that the friction burns on his skin still lingered. The red heads moans became less softer with each thrust and soon he was practically screaming in Minseok’s ears which only made the elder more frantic. Minseok couldn't even think straight in those moments, he wanted to think about Jongdae’s proposal but he couldn't, the only thought entering his mind being how good it felt to be fucking his fiancée. His thrusts were fast and rough, matching the pace of his beating heart. The adrenaline was so intense he couldn't stop himself from crying out every time he felt his cock enter Jongdae. He felt the fire in his lower stomach and the tightening of his balls. He was so ready to finish, but Jongdae beat him to it, orgasming with a broken yell of Minseok’s name, cum covering both their chests and stomachs. That was the last straw for Minseok and with one final thrust he followed suit. 

Minseok struggled to catch his breath, each breath a labour from the orgasm that still rippled through his veins. He let Jongdae down so they were both standing, still pressed together in an entanglement of their arms. Minseok rested his face in the crook of Jongdae’s neck as the younger stroked his hair affectionately. 

“So is that a yes?” Jongdae asked quietly, hope so apparent in his tone. 

“Yes. A million times yes. The answer could never be no.” He muttered against his skin in return. 

* * *

  
Throughout the night Minseok had learnt that Jongdae hadn't bought a ring, nor had he planned on proposing all together. The whole thing was a spur of the moment but he didn't regret it. The question was a long time coming but with circumstances always being so up and down, there was never a good opportunity to ask but now it was done. The two spent the night entwined together on their floor Matt, tracing each other's tattoos, talking about anything and everything, just being together like it had been at first. They discussed the fact that their whole lives would be spent together, which awoke a happiness in both of them but they avoided the elephant in the room at all costs. Gay marriage still wasn't legal in South Korea, and although Baekhyun was constantly moaning about it, neither of them could bare to bring it up. It was such a disappointment, knowing they couldn't do something they wanted to do so badly, but for the moment the thought alone would be enough to satisfy them. 

It must've been very early hours of the morning before the two were interrupted. Zitao and Yixing were yet to return from the club when there was a loud knock on the door. Pulling on a pair of sweatpants that Minseok had discarded on the floor days ago, he headed to the door presuming the boys were too drunk to unlock the door. Much to his surprise it wasn't his drunken Chinese friends stood in the door way but one of GD’s men, Daesung. The boy looked friendly enough however Minseok remained wary, he knew what GD’s men were capable of. 

“What're you doing here so late?” Minseok asked. 

“GD wants to meet first thing tomorrow morning. It's important.”

“and you couldn't text that to me because??” He questioned, sarcasm slightly apparent. Daesung blushed embarrassedly at the words. 

“I-I don't know actually. Uh. I just do what Ji-uh-GD says.” Daesung stuttered. Minseok smiled at him slightly, honestly nothing could pull him down from his good mood. 

“Fair enough. Usual meeting place?” 

“Oh uh no. He wants you at our complex.” He said. The two exchanged a few last details before Daesung bowed politely and shuffled off down the hallway. Minseok couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. He closed the door quickly before returning to his room where Jongdae had fallen asleep since his departure. With a small smile he slid in next to his lover, turned off the light and wrapped his arms around a warm torso, eyes starting to shut sooner than anticipated. 


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry that this chap took so long, i'm not gonna even try and make an excuse. i accept that im an asshole and i apologise for that. Anyway, thanks for sticking with me and i love you all!  
> \- Riley

Jongdae was completely overwhelmed by GD’s complex. The grounds where huge, a massive gravel driveway, fountains and a traditional mansion at stretched on for what seemed like forever. The compound was just outside the city, although the house was beautiful and clearly worth more than Jongdae had ever seen ever multiplied by 100, it wasn’t where GD and his closest men usually resided. The compound was more of a safe space away from the rival gangs, GD could trust his men to run his operation from inside the city in his absence but mostly he lived in his expensive penthouse that guarded the turf he owned. As Minseok pulled the car up outside the front door, a young maid met the two, and lead them inside. The inside was just as extravagant. Everything inside maintained the traditional theme, Jongdae had never been somewhere so beautiful. They had barely been inside for 5 minutes before GD strolled proudly into the room. Jongdae had only ever seen the man dressed extravagantly in huge fur coats and eyeliner that almost swallowed away his eyes today however the man was simply in a pair of jeans and a shirt, hair wet and a towel hanging around his neck. He smiled at the two.

“Glad you came; we have a lot to discuss!”

“Well it’s not like you sent someone to get us at a ridiculous hour in the morning.” Minseok mumbled.

“Hey, you two were the ones who were awake.” He replied with a quick wink that sent a blush to Jongdae’s cheeks. The usual threatening demeanour was no longer there and somehow that made Jongdae feel more uneasy than ever. The leader signalled for the two to follow him so they did, he lead them through the maze of the mansion before leading them to a very cosy looking room. Stretched out on the couch was Seungri, or at least that’s what Jongdae thought his name was. The Young man smiled up at them as Minseok perched on the arm chair opposite. Jongdae stood awkwardly as he watched the redhead slump down next to Seungri. He turned to his boyfriend who simply patted his lap, Jongdae shrugged before taking a place on Minseok’s lap.

“Jesus, since when was your ass so boney?!” Minseok exclaimed as he squirmed. GD chuckled with a bright smile.

“When did you get together?” he asked innocently.

“Must be about 3 years ago now right?” Jongdae questioned.

“Yeah, 3 years.”

“Very impressive, anyway, I didn’t ask for you guys to come down here to gossip like girls, I have a plan.” GD admitted. Jongdae shifted nervously, from what Minseok had told him before GD’s plans were never something to get too excited about.

“Yeah? What is it?” GD smiled. This smile however was how Jongdae recognised the leader. Dark, twisted and terrifying.

“We’re going to shoot Luhan.”

 

* * *

 

 

 

The plan was shocking. Jongdae honestly couldn’t believe what GD was saying, it was so risky, it was dangerous, it was cruel and most of all it was unjust.

“You want me to shoot Luhan? No way!” Minseok argued. Jongdae could see that he was not going to react well with this plan at all and honestly he didn’t blame him. Who could expect someone to shoot their best friend? Much more their innocent best friend who was risking his life for them.

“I’m not asking you to kill him Xiumin, you just need to send him to a hospital okay?”

“That’s still a ridiculous plan, I’m not fucking doing it, none of us are. I refuse.”

“If you refuse you are never getting Luhan back okay! Think about your priorities here. You can either fuck up your friend’s arm for a while or wait while the risk of him dying gets bigger and bigger by the day.” Minseok was silent. He was so against the idea but what was worse is that it made sense. To make it look like EXO were back and pissed at Luhan for his betrayal would make them trust Luhan more, and kidnapping him from the hospital would be the perfect opportunity to get him back safely without a massive shoot out but the fact still remained that someone would have to make an ‘attempt’ on Luhan’s life.

“What if the aim isn’t good and Luhan dies, what if they don’t take him to the hospital? There’s too many things that could go wrong, I’m not risking one of my men’s life for this.”

“You’ve already put it at risk. This is our only alternative Xiumin, I would do it myself but for this to work it has to be you and only you. Zhang Wei needs to see that you’re back and you’re pissed okay?” Minseok ran his hand through his hair, expression torn. It was so clear that he didn’t want to do this at all.

“Can I think about it? Talk to my men, see what they think?” He asked quietly. GD nodded slightly.

“Do what you want but remember the longer you take the shorter Luhan’s life span becomes.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

The boys were in uproar at the proposal. The thought of turning on one of their own angering and disgusting them.

“Why the fuck do we even need to shoot him in the first place?!” Sehun argued aggressively.

“Because if Wei finds out we’re back and we do nothing to get at Luhan its suspicious and Luhan will be killed in an instant before anything can happen. If we shoot him, it shows them we consider him a traitor. It makes Luhan’s role more believable. It’s a scary concept but the thought behind the plan is flawless.”  Minseok said grimly, no one seemed convinced though.

“Minseok, I don’t think this is a good idea, maybe we should say no.” the redhead admitted.

“You were there, you heard what he said, how can we say no? It’s only a matter of time before Luhan’s brains are splattered all over the fucking wall!” Everyone was silent. Not a word dared to drip from anyone’s tongue as they processed the situation. Junmyeon was the first to speak up.

“Kris would’ve done it.”

“I’m not Kris Jumna.” Minseok said sadly.

“Well someone’s gonna have to be.” Minseok stood there for a moment, thinking about Junmyeon’s words before giving a small nod before retreating away to the bedroom. All eyes followed him as he walked away, head hung low. When he was out of sight everyone’s eyes flickered back to Jongdae expectantly.

“I guess you guys should head back to your apartment. I’ll keep you all updated okay?” He suggested. Of course Sehun was perfectly happy to storm out of the apartment in his stroppy state. The others followed suit leaving Jongdae alone with his two Chinese friends. Zitao glanced over to Yixing with a weary look in his eyes before the mandarin rolled off his tongue.

_“What do you think?”_ he asked.

“ _I don’t like the plan but I don’t see what else we can do. I’m happy to tend to Luhan’s wounds though.”_ Yixing replied slowly, stopping to think carefully about his words.

_“Luhan is family. That’s that. I’m willing to do whatever.”_ Jongdae had lived with them for long enough to understand their words, he racked through his brain for the right words before inputting to the conversation.

_“We will get Luhan back, I promise you that. No more of our family will die.”_

* * *

 

 

 

Minseok was simply sat on their bedroll smoking a cigarette when Jongdae entered the bedroom. He walked over before wedging himself between the raven haired male and the wall, wrapping his arms around his fiancée’s waist.

“What are you gonna do?” he asked quietly, chin resting on Minseok’s shoulder.

“I’m going to have to say yes aren’t I?” 

“Not necessary. You don’t have to do whatever GD says.” Minseok let out a heavy sigh which allowed a heavy cloud of smoke to flow from his mouth.

“Can we just talk about something else?” Jongdae nodded before his fingers made their way up to Minseok’s hair to play with the strands. They stayed like that for a while, just communicating with their bodies, not finding the need to speak. Minseok broke the silence.

“Wanna dye my hair?” It was a complete turn from their original conversation but Jongdae went with it.

“Yeah sure, got dye?”

“Well, no, we’d have to go to the store.” Jongdae agreed before peeling himself away from Minseok. The older man stood up soon after also and without saying a word to the two who were still sat on the couch, they left the apartment. The weather was warm despite the sun nearing to setting, but it painted a beautiful colour of orange and yellows across the sky. Wanting to soak in what little rays of sunshine were still lingering the two decided to walk instead of driving or catching the subway. Their fingers remained entwined as they walked at a slow pace through the streets. Jongdae couldn’t help but constantly glance at Minseok, the way the light shone down on his face, making his eyes twinkle through the black eyeliner, making his lips look pinker. Minseok was honestly the most beautiful creature Jongdae had ever seen despite his scars. As they walked Jongdae quickly pecked a kiss on Minseok’s cheek.

“Guess what?” he asked with a sheepish smile.

“What?”

“I love you.” Minseok rolled his eyes but he couldn’t stop the smile that broke out on his lips. It was one of Jongdae’s favourite smiles. The smile where his eyes would crinkle in the corner, and his lips were pulled up so much that nearly all his teeth were on show. The idea of being able to make Minseok look this joyful with just a matter of 3 words filled him with the contagious happiness. At this point the two had wondered off of the streets and were now walking through the park that lead to the nearest handful of stores. Minseok tugged Jongdae’s hand and pulled him away to a near tree where he placed a soft kiss on his lips. As he pulled away he began to smirk.

“Jongdae, Guess what?” Jongdae grinned back.

“What?”

“I love you too!” He kissed the taller again before letting go of his hand and quickly walking away with a skip in his step. Jongdae laughed as he chased after his lover. The sun was nearly gone now but what was left of the light shone through the trees, making their silhouettes black as they ran past them. Minseok’s pace quickened, as did Jongdae’s and their quick walk turned into fast sprints as they wove in and out of the trees. They weren’t even headed towards their destination anymore, just aimlessly running around, playing a game of cat and mouse. Minseok’s giggles and laughter was like music through the park, causing the same reaction from his lover. Jongdae didn’t know how long they were running for but it was soon dark, the only light coming from the fairy lights wrapped around the trees and dim streetlights that lit the path. Passers-by stared at the two as they acted childishly but neither took any notice, they were completely lost in their own world. Minseok’s pace began to slow which only motivated Jongdae to get faster. His legs went as fast as they could take him and it wasn’t long until he caught up with Minseok. He tackled his lover, causing the two to topple over to the ground with a painful thud but they only laughed it off. Their lips met amongst the laughter, brushing against each other happily. Jongdae just couldn’t believe that he was going to spend the rest of his life with this cute creature who was giggling in his arms. Time didn’t seem to exist when they were together like this, just caught up in their own perfect world.

 

Jongdae rose to his feet before offering out a hand to Minseok who happily took it, hoisting himself up to his feet. He wrapped one arm around Jongdae’s waist which was simply returned with a slack arm over his shoulders. The two muttered away about sweet nothings as they finally made their way to the store. Jongdae stared at Minseok as he stood in front of the large hair dye section, pondering on the many different possibilities. He loved watching Minseok like this.

“Well whatever colour I go, I’m gonna have to bleach it first, right?” he asked as he turned to Jongdae.

“I think so, I don’t really know that much, all I know is that I have to slather some red shit on my head once a month.” The elder turned back to the dye section before picking up 3 boxes, balancing them in his arms he turned and headed towards the counter. He paid for them, bid a quick thank you and followed Jongdae out of the store.

“What’d you get?”

“Oh, I just got two bottles of bleach and some toner, my hair is gonna be so fucked.” He chuckled with a bright smile.

“Oh well, you’ll look hot.” Jongdae admitted, he couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at the elder when he realised the expected sarcastic comment never came. Minseok simply blushed and kept on walking without saying anything.

Upon entering the house Jongdae found himself sat on top of the toilet seat with Minseok between his legs while he slapped the foul smelling bleach on his dark hair. He hummed away as he checked every single last hair was covered in the pale blue substance before pulling off his gloves.

“There, I’m done.” He muttered before standing up. He turned to look at Minseok before bursting out in a fit of laughter. The way his hair had become slicked back across his forehead just appeared hilarious. “You look like a fucking egg!” Minseok threw the box of dye at Jongdae aggressively.

“Shut the fuck up!” Jongdae simply sunk back down to his knees and kissed Minseok for the millionth time that day and with that their night was perfectly perfect.

 

* * *

 

 

 

The day was going slow inside the café, not many customers to keep him and Baekhyun busy. The two of them were the only ones working that day as it was clear that the day would be a quiet one. Jongdae chattered away happily to Baekhyun as they both sat behind the counter with a cup of coffee.

“I mean I know I’m loud but I can’t help it! It’s not my fault that the walls are so thin, how do you and Minseok do it?!” Baekhyun complained, causing Jongdae to laugh.

“Maybe we can teach you one day.” He replied with a joking wink.  Of course the joke went straight over Baekhyun’s head.

“What? Minseok is chill with a foursome? Awesome man!”

“No Baek, that’s not what I- oh what the hell, sure, ask him.” He laughed. The two continued their mindless tittle tatter before the familiar bell of the front door rang, Jongdae was completely taken off guard by Baekhyun’s reaction. The petite boy legged it at top speed into the back room without a moment’s hesitation. Jongdae glanced over at the man, trying to see what could have possibly triggered this kind of response out of his friend. He saw nothing. The man took a seat at a table by the window and looked at the small menu of coffees, taking the chance of him not coming to the counter, Jongdae followed after Baekhyun. He found the boy sat on the floor, hugging his knees and a strong look of unease on his face.

“Baek, what’s up?”

“T-that’s Li Qiang...H-he works for Zhang Wei…” He stuttered nervously.

“What?! Seriously, what the fuck, have they found us?!”

“I don’t know Jongdae, I don’t know. Either way he’s here, I don’t know what to do!” The sound of the bell that signified a new customer rang throughout the café, and then again, and then again. Jongdae looked helplessly down at Baekhyun. He knew there was a chance that Qiang wouldn’t recognise him so he would keep Baekhyun out here for as long as possible. He peered around the corner and just from looking at the small group of people, he knew he would need Baekhyun’s help. He quickly grabbed a disposable mask and one of his cardigans from the backroom before hooking the elastic around Baekhyun’s ears.

“Here, your face is covered now and after you put my cardigan on so will most of your tattoos. I’ll take orders, you just keep to yourself and make the orders okay?” Baekhyun was so hesitant at that, it was clear in his eyes that the idea of even coming face to face with that man terrified him but Jongdae needed the help, he couldn’t get fired, they needed all the money they could get to make their name mean something again. With a heavy sigh, Baekhyun stood up and pulled the cardigan on, he followed Jongdae out to the shop front cautiously. Li Qiang sat at a table at the far side of the café, nose deep in a small menu, he clearly hadn’t noticed either of them. Jongdae forced a polite smile to his face and began sending apologies’ to the waiting customers, who seemed to either be dazzled enough from his smile or intimidated by his tattoo’s and piercings. Everything was fine and went right as Jongdae had said, Jongdae dealt with all the customers and orders while Baekhyun made the drinks, no one even gave the younger boy a second glance.

“Have a good afternoon!” Jongdae called after a customer before he noted that Li Qiang was approaching the counter.

“I’ll get a double expresso, but I want one of those huge slices of cake too.” He said rudely, pointing through the glass like a child outside a toy shop. Jongdae nodded.

“Is that to eat in?” he asked, not too loudly, Jongdae had never even met the guy yet he was nervous that his voice might be recognised. Li Qiang looked up at the redhead, before his eyes narrowed.

“To go...” The man trailed off, Chinese accent thick. Jongdae shouted back the order to Baekhyun who got on with it, not even turning to face the man who had treated him so badly in years past. The man wasn’t saying anything, causing Jongdae to think that maybe, just maybe the two of them might have gotten away with it.

“I know you from somewhere.” He uttered. Jongdae’s heart stopped and his lungs dared not take another breath. Jongdae’s eyes scanned the café, all the customers had coffee to take out, leaving the café practically empty. There was no one around that could help in anyway shape or form.

“I don’t think you do…” Jongdae replied nervously. He could tell that Baekhyun was having a similar reaction to him. The man’s eyes trailed up Jongdae’s arms, scanning each tattoo carefully before his eyes found exactly what he was looking for. Sat on the redhead’s bicep was the big and plain to see ‘EXO’ symbol, the ink had faded and it was worn but it was the symbol none the less. The man chuckled sinisterly.

“Oh, but I do. You were there that day.” At the words Jongdae heard Baekhyun drop a coffee cup with shaky hands, bringing the attention to him. Li Qiang laughed at the sight.

“Four fingers, Baekhyun is that you?” He asked between dark chuckles. Baekhyun turned slowly, looking at the man nervously. Jongdae grew angry, this man had no right to come and treat Baekhyun like this, the boy had not breached any agreements.

“I think you should leave.” The redhead growled. Eyes shot back to the older barista with a glare.

“And I think you should be careful what you say, this is news my boss would very much like to hear.”

“News? What news? You came along and fucked up our lives, we complied to your negotiations. This is us trying to make a life for ourselves _out_ of Hongdae, we’ve done nothing wrong.” Jongdae argued. “Feel free to tell your boss that you barged into a public area not in your district and started throwing threats to members of the public though.” Li Qiang simply laughed off the words, flashing the gold caps on his teeth.

“We got your boy Luhan by the way.”

“He’s not my boy. He means little more than dirt to me, I have no place in my heart for traitors. Now fuck off, you’re not getting any coffee off me. There’s a Starbucks down the road.” Li Qiang looked like he was going to launch across the counter at Jongdae and he found himself regretting the words. He was in no position to start talking big to one of Zhang Wei’s men, especially when they had plans they needed to execute. Thankfully Li Qiang retreated from the store, mumbling to himself in Chinese. Baekhyun grabbed Jongdae’s shoulder and stared at him.

“Why did you act like that?! We can’t afford to be disrespectful.” Jongdae brushed the younger’s hand away.

“What does it matter? He’ll be dead soon, they all will be.”

 

* * *

 

 

 

Neither GD nor Minseok were happy to find out what had happened in the coffee shop and they organised another meeting. GD, Jinki, Namjoon, Minseok and Jongdae sat around a round table in the back room of one of Namjoon’s many restaurants. The table was full of food that was enchanting in its scent as well as sight, such cuisine was only available at the most expensive of restaurants around the city.

“To cut the story short, it seems that by now Wei will know where you are based. He won’t take the fact that the two of you were seen together as a coincidence. He’s going to be on edge.” Jinki said before taking a sip from his wine cup.

“So we’ll have to move fast?” Minseok asked curiously, eyes flickering to GD. The orange haired man sighed before leaning back in his chair.

“When did all of this become so complicated…” He trailed off. “Yes, we’ll have to move fast and by fast I mean this week. There is no way in hell that you will be able to get away with anything after this week. It gives him enough time to figure everything out and boom, Luhan is dead.” Jongdae’s stomach dropped at the words. They’d never been giving a time scale on how long they’d have to save Luhan but now it all become more realistic. Namjoon scanned everyone’s faces before speaking up.

“He’s already been asking around about you. He’s asked me on several occasions whether I think there’s a chance you guys are still around. I covered your tracks though.”

“See what I mean? Minseok you need to act now. That plan we discussed, it appears to be your only option right now.” GD said. Minseok looked conflicted, he had made it apparent from day one that he was not happy with that plan at all but now GD was right, it seemed to be the only thing they could do.

“Fine. Yeah, we’ll shoot Luhan.”

 

* * *

 

 

 

Minseok’s heart wouldn’t stop pounding against his chest ever since he agreed to GD’s plan. They had sat for a while, discussing what is to happen in greater detail before he excused himself for some fresh air and a cigarette. The sound of the restaurant back door caused him to turn to see who had exited, revealing a familiar tuft of orange hair. Minseok had never been the tallest of men and seeing that GD was more or less the same size always made him feel slightly less intimidated by the man. He watched in silence as he lit his own cigarette and brought it to his lips. They were silent for a moment before Minseok finally spoke up.

“Why are you helping us? I mean, I know you want Zhang Wei gone but with your power you could easily do it without us.” GD smirked.

“Because I like you. I’ve run this city for such a long time, I’ve seen all the assholes rise out of the dark and make a small claim on the city. They’re all the same selfish greedy men who have no respect but you’re different. You understand loyalty, you’re a natural born leader, that’s why I trust you.”

“You trust me?” as simple as the words were, they were such a big thing to hear from the infamous G-Dragon.

“Yes, trust is a rare thing in this corrupt city. The thing is, there are so many gangs these days, so much competition and I’m starting to lose control. Especially when you and your men stepped down, it allowed more opportunity for chaos. At the end of the day I want my city back, even if I have to share it. That’s where you come in.” GD explained, smoke oozing out of his nostrils as he spoke.

“I’m sorry, I’m not following.”

“I want you to run the city with me. Two massive organisations, reigning down on Seoul. I can’t control everything on my own anymore, I need someone else. Like I said, I trust you.” Minseok couldn’t believe his ears. Half a year ago he wouldn’t have even believed the EXO would be up and running again, let alone the second most important gang in Seoul. It was the opportunity of a life time, so good it almost seemed impossible. In fact, it was impossible. Even If they did kill Zhang Wei and get their turf back, they had no money, they couldn’t fund the organisation back to its original glory, let alone to GD’s level.

“Look, I have a gift for you if you agree to this as well.”

“A gift?”

“I’m going to give you 2 million won, and then I will give you Jeju Island, it happens to be in my possession.” The proposition made Minseok laugh.

“I could never repay you for any of that.”

“You wouldn’t have to, now is that a deal?” GD asked, outstretching is hand. The blonde hesitated for a moment before sliding his hand into his new partner’s.

“Deal.” He agreed as the two shook hands.


	17. Lotto

The idea of being a king of Seoul constantly sat in the back of Minseok’s mind. It was still the opportunity of a life time. When he had first told Jongdae that night, he hadn’t seen his lover that happy in such a long time. That night their bodies fused as one, Jongdae treating Minseok like the king he was soon to be. The others shared their joy, especially when the money appeared in Minseok’s bank account, allowing him to share it out amongst the eight of them. The money and promise of refuge at the paradise of Jeju island seemed to cloud their judgement on the plan with Luhan and everyone agreed. Minseok spent a lot of time with GD and the other leaders since that night, it was only two days ago and yet they had gotten so much done. Minseok and his men were now equipped with enough artillery to supply a small army. The plan was flawless, options that worked in their favour for every variable of the situation but the whole thing still relied on one thing. The bullet couldn’t kill Luhan, only injure him. If he died, the whole thing would be for nothing, a pointless mission that would result in the death of his dearest friend. If the bullet missed the whole thing could turn into a bloodbath in which Luhan could easily start to believe that EXO had turned their backs on him.

 

GD leaned on the doorframe of Minseok and Jongdae’s shared room casually, watching as the two of them tightened their weapon holsters and slotted their guns and knives inside. It was weird seeing GD in such a poor environment, Minseok was only used to seeing the man surrounded by his own riches.

“My people are holding their positions at every hospital within a 10-mile radius of the incident. When Luhan is brought in we will be ready.” He informed. Minseok nodded, to say he was nervous about what was about to happen would be an understatement. He was terrified. Not only was he putting his friend in danger but he was starting a straight up war. Jongdae rubbed his back comfortingly, giving him a small smile but the fear was evident in his eyes too. Grabbing his leather jacket from the closet, he pulled it over his shoulders, concealing his weapons. He walked towards GD, Jongdae close behind, the man maintained a serious aura around him however Minseok was pretty sure he saw hesitation behind the man’s eyes.

“I’m ready.” He murmured and the orange haired man moved, allowing Jongdae and Minseok to move through. Minseok’s chest was tight, he found it hard to breath anything other than quick shallow breaths. His hands shook ever so slightly just considering what he would have to do next. The others all looked over to Minseok as he entered the room, the same look in all their eyes. They were all kitting themselves up in case of something going wrong and they were needed. Namjoon’s men were also ready for a fight should one arise at all. GD led the two of them out of the apartment complex and handed Jongdae a pair of car keys.

“They won’t recognise this car. The licence plate has been altered so no cameras can pick it up. Once you’ve done it, meet me where we agreed and we’ll go from there.”

“What if it goes wrong?” Minseok asked.

“Then I will come find you and we will reign hell against Zhang Wei, understood?” Jongdae slipped his hand inside of Minseok’s and squeezed it, telling him that it was time to go. GD wished the two of them luck as they clambered into the car, the leader turned on his heel and started to head back inside. Rolling down his window Minseok called out to him.

“GD! If I die today, promise me you’ll take over? My men are good, they’ll work well for you.” GD nodded with a sad smile and went inside. Minseok turned to his lover who was already gazing at him.

“Are you okay?” The redhead asked softly, hand on Minseok’s thigh.

“Not really but this isn’t the time to talk about feelings, we’ve got shit to do.” He mumbled dismissively. Jongdae understood his unwillingness to talk about it and switched on the engine.

 

* * *

 

For months now without Minseok’s knowledge, GD had made it his business to know everything that Luhan does outside the compound. GD knew every move that Luhan and whoever was keeping an eye on him did every hour of the day and he used that their advantage. Minseok looked down at his watch, 1:48 pm. Luhan and Chen Zan were to leave the compound at 1:45 and head to the river to collect money from local businesses that paid for refuge. Their exact route had been marked out on a map that sat on Minseok’s lap, his eyes followed the highlighted route as Jongdae drove along the busy roads. It wasn’t long until Jongdae spoke up.

“I see the car.” He said solemnly. Minseok glanced up to the windscreen, eyes scanning the streets for the car GD had photographed for him. The white car was not far in front, cruising down the street with only a couple cars separating them. At the sight, Minseok began to ready himself, pulling his gun from its holster. He switched off the safety, checked yet again that it was loaded and cocked it, making it ready to fire. His grip on the gun was tight, sending a warm sweat along his palms but his finger hovered so far away from the trigger, subconsciously not wanting to pull it at all.

They stayed back for a while, not making apparent that they were following them, not that they could’ve known who they were, the windows were tinted. Minseok’s breathing became heavier and heavier, he was so on the edge, not coming to terms with what he was about to do. Jongdae revved up the engine and gained speed, pulling into the lane alongside Luhan’s car.

“Traffic lights ahead. Now’s the time Minseok.” Jongdae instructed. Minseok nodded before getting ready. It was perfectly timed, as the two cars approached the lights side by side, it turned red, forcing the two cars to a stop. Glancing to his right, he saw Luhan sat behind the wheel, window rolled down allowing the loud music to leak out of the car and into the street. Taking a deep breath, Minseok rolled down his window and took aim. His finger hovered over the trigger when Luhan turned, making eye contact with his old friend.

“Minseok?” were the last words that left before the only sound that could be heard was the echo of a gunshot and Luhan’s hoarse screams. All Minseok could smell was the scent of rubber burning against the tarmac roads as Jongdae absolutely floored the car. It wasn’t long until they heard the sound of sirens blaring in the distance, but they had too much of a head start, they couldn’t be caught.

“Where’d you hit him?!” Jongdae asked frantically.

“I don’t know; you drove off too quick!”

“Well where the fuck did you aim Minseok?!?”

“His shoulder, I think I aimed for his shoulder!” he yelled back, adrenaline pumping through his veins.

“You think?!?”

“Shut the fuck up Jongdae and just concentrate on driving!”

 

* * *

 

Just as he had promised, GD was waiting for them at an empty spot by the Han River. He slipped out of his car just as elegantly as usual and waited for them, a large canister of something unknown in his hand. He lit up a cigarette as he stared down the approaching car. Minseok couldn’t get out of the car quick enough, sick of the taunting feeling of that his friend was dead.

“Glad to see you made it.” GD greeted as he approached their car. He held out his cigarette to Jongdae. “Hold this for a sec.” Jongdae did just that confused, watching GD’s next move. The orange haired man opened the car bonnet, revealing the engine. Turning back to the canister he’d placed on the ground, he pulled out a wet cloth and stuffed it inside the car’s gas tank.

“What’re you doing?” Minseok asked curiously.

“Getting rid of the evidence. This cloth is drenched in petrol, basically this car is going to become a huge Molotov.”

“You’re blowing up the car? I swear that shit only happened in movies?” Jongdae said, uncertainty clear in his voice.

“Evidently not Chen, but if you don’t want to become a human kebab, I suggest you both get in my car now.” Neither moved for a moment, not knowing how yet another car would save them but soon complied to the demand. Minseok slid into the front seat of the rolls Royce, eyes never leaving GD. The man finished up fiddling inside the car and got back into his own expensive ride. He held out his hand, silently asking for his cigarette back. He started the engine and drove slowly up beside the other, after taking a couple drags on his cigarette, he flicked the butt which was still a light at the car’s engine. He barely even looked at the car twice before accelerating fast and driving far away from the car. Minseok turned in his seat, keeping his eyes glued to the black car he’d shot Luhan from. It wasn’t long till the car was no more, simply a huge flame of reds, oranges and yellows reaching out to the sky in a mass explosion. He watched in shock as he saw the scraps of metal flying out the explosion, falling to the ground violently. He was completely flabbergasted by the sight before him, Jongdae’s reaction completely the same. GD simply laughed and he kept driving further and further away. Jongdae turned back in his seat to face the front with a wide smile.

“Okay, I have to admit that was kind of awesome!” he exclaimed. Minseok rolled his eyes before following suit and turning around also. He couldn’t get Luhan out of his mind, the look in his eyes when he saw the gun pointed at him, the way he screamed, the blood, all Minseok had seen was the blood. Worrying would be a complete understatement, Minseok was tormented by his thoughts of what could have happened to Luhan. The blonde was brought out of his thoughts when GD’s phone started to violently vibrate, showing the caller ID _‘Bingu’_. Swiping the screen allowing him to accept the call he brought it to his ear.

“Whats going on?” Minseok could hear the low mumbles coming from the phone as the other person spoke but he couldn’t make out any words. GD nodded and hummed occasionally, showing he was listening before hanging up.

“Good news, Luhan is alive.” Relief swept over Minseok and he felt as if a boulder had been lifted from his chest.

“Where is he?!” Minseok questioned almost frantically.

“A pedestrian called an ambulance. Officials turned up before he was even taken to hospital. What they didn’t know is Jinwoo and Mino were driving the ambulance. They’ve taken him back to my compound.” Jongdae leaned forward, chin resting on the back of Minseok’s chair.

“How serious are his injuries?” he asked.

“Yixing is tending to him now, the bullet didn’t go all the way through, his collarbone was shattered however and the bullet has yet to be extracted, nothing some painkillers and stitches won’t fix.”

 

* * *

 

They didn’t arrive at GD’s large mansion this time, instead the car pulled up outside a large warehouse more central to the city, not far from the Han River. Upon approaching the doorway, two young boys stood guns in hand but lowered their weapons and bowed upon seeing GD approach. Minseok followed the orange haired man closely, eager to see Luhan. Up the echoing metal stairs was a small room where they found Yixing leaning over a bed with a couple girls in nurse’s outfits assisting them. One of the girls, long black hair and big eyes passed Yixing a gauze which he delicately took from her.

“Thanks Bom.” He muttered as he went back to attending to the body laying across the bed. Minseok’s heart stopped when he saw the red staining of the white sheets. Slowly he approached until he could see Luhan’s pained expression. The wound was being sewn up slowly, causing Luhan to bite down on the wadded towel placed in his mouth. His eyes were shut and therefore didn’t see Minseok standing at the end of the bed. Yixing glanced up at him, a grim expression. It was another half an hour until the bullet hole had been fully stitched up and Luhan finally opened his eyes. With his uninjured arm he removed the gag slowly, not breaking eye contact. Jongdae brushed his arm across his fiancé’s waist before asking everyone to follow him out the room, leaving the two friends alone. Shame from his actions stopped Minseok from coming any closer as he averted his eyes to the ground. It was silent for a long time, Minseok not knowing how to spit out his apology knowing that that whatever he said wouldn’t be enough.

“I know why you did it. I understand.” Luhan uttered. “I wanna say thank you. Believe me when I say this is nothing compared to what they did to me back there.” Minseok finally approached his friend, slipping his hand into the other apologetically.

“I’m sorry. It was the only way.”

“I’ve already told you it’s okay. You had to get me back somehow.” Luhan said as he squeezed Minseok’s hand. “I hope you don’t mind but I’m kind of in agony right now so I’m going to sleep.”

“Okay, that’s fine, rest up.” Minseok muttered. Just as Luhan’s eyes fluttered closed he let out a sigh.

_“Xièxie Minseok.”_

 

* * *

 

The past 4 weeks had passed swiftly, Minseok being completely overwhelmed with work. GD had kept to his promises Giving Minseok two entire districts to him and his men to own. He’d given Minseok the warehouses and homes he owned in the districts to become their new place to live. None of them were very familiar with Seocho-gu or Dongjak-gu but land was land. Minseok was sad to lose the night club but he knew it was unsafe to keep ownership, knowing that Zhang Wei would be after them. Not knowing the area well Minseok decided that selling wouldn’t be a good enough income for them, it didn’t allow them to maintain a strong influence on their people either. Not only had GD given them the warehouses but he also signed over the ownership to a few small companies he owned in the districts. Minseok worked on creating areas for gambling in a few resteraunts’ back rooms. It went slow at first, people scared to come to the new controller’s gambling rooms.

It wasn’t long until the reputation that EXO’s poker games were fair and maintained a good chance of winning people flooded in, causing Minseok to turn one of their abandoned buildings into an underground casino. He ensured that everyone kept to the rules of the games to show that EXO were not cheats when it came to playing, not only did it reel in a lot of gambler’s, but it also made their trust concrete. Soon it would be time to introduce the hustlers and cheating to make sure their income was improved but at the moment it wasn’t the time. Using the original sum of money GD had presented them Minseok started giving out loans to those who gambled in his buildings, allowing him to gain control over those who owed him, sending out Chanyeol and Jongin with their baseball bats to scare people into giving up their money. Life was good again for EXO and they were going strong.

Minseok watched from above on the balcony, smiling to himself as he saw Jongdae flapping a wad of notes he’d just won in the air. The now brunette placed a couple stacks of tokens on the table getting cocky with his winnings but Minseok only brushed it off, enjoying seeing his fiancé enjoying himself. He heard footsteps approaching, turning to see Jongin standing on the balcony.

“Boss, we need you in the backroom.” He informed. Since setting up the casino’s the boys had taken to calling Minseok boss out of respect which was odd at first but he was slowly getting used to it. He nodded and followed the younger man down into the backrooms where he entered through the door way. The room was poorly lit, a single flickering bulb hanging from the ceiling, swinging softly from side to side, casting shadows against the concrete room. In the middle of the room there was a middle aged man tied tightly to a chair, his face was bruised and bloodied and he looked scared. The man looked up at Minseok fearfully.

“I’m so sorry Xiumin, I really meant to pay you back! I really did but we had to pay for school fees and I gambled away our savings! I had to pay for my daughter’s school!” he begged desperately.

“Mr. Park, do you honestly think I give a shit about your daughter’s tuition fees? I want my fucking money!”

“I don’t have it!” He exclaimed. Minseok shot a look to Chanyeol who held his metal bat. With a wide grin he swung it round to hit the man in the stomach, causing him to cough and splutter in intense pain. Chanyeol giggled to himself, almost jumping on the spot in excitement.

“Well, fucking get it. I’ll give you until the end of this month to get it to me. I want the full 8,320,000 won in cash otherwise I will fucking rip your balls off and I will keep fucking cutting limbs until I get my money. Understand?” Minseok threatened, voice heavy and cutting. Mr. Park nodded frantically in reply. Satisfied with the response he turned to leave before Jongin called back to him.

“Boss what do you want us to do with him?” he asked. Minseok paused for a moment before replying.

“Cut off his ring finger. Send him home to his wife so she knows about this bad habit of his.”

“Happily.” Chanyeol said as the blonde leader continued out of the room. Down the corridor he could hear Mr. Park’s screams mixed in with Chanyeol’s frantic laughter and he smirked to himself. He walked down to the main ground floor of the casino which had been decorated in rich red silks hanging from the ceiling and walls. He weaved between the tables, greeting gamblers politely, he liked doing so to ensure the return of gambler’s. Jongdae came running up to him childlike, arms cradled to hold the mass number of tokens.

“Look how much money I won!” he exclaimed excitedly. Minseok smiled back at him, wanting to give him a congratulatory kiss but they were surrounded by so many people he couldn’t do so instead he ruffled Jongdae’s hair.

“You’re getting good at poker! You’re going to start scaring off the other players.” He replied with a light chuckle, Jongdae simply chuckled before saying something about cashing in the tokens and walked off. Minseok eyes scanned around the room, the sight before him satisfactory, proud of himself for building up such a small empire for himself. EXO had never thrived this much before, not ever with Yifan.

 

* * *

 

The place they lived was much like their home in Hongdae, a large apartment complex that had been altered to their needs. However, this complex was not a ruin, no rats, no graffiti, no ugly concrete walls, instead their new home was luxurious. Fully furnished and decorated with soft carpets and large couches. The whole complex was spread out onto four floors and a basement. The entirety of the fourth floor belonged to Minseok, including a massive bedroom, study, living area and more, of course then incidentally this all became Jongdae’s belongings also. Downstairs was the communal floor, with the kitchen big enough to feed an Olympic stadium’s worth of people, living areas and game rooms. The other two floors split up into living space for the rest of the boys. The basement was predominately a massive vault, like that you would see in a bank, inside was the valuables, piles of money and gold, Jongdae often referred to it as Aladdin’s cave.

The day had been long and Minseok flopped down heavily onto his bed, burying his face in his pillow. He heard Jongdae chuckle behind him.

“Stressed?” he asked.

“You have no idea. I’m just constantly doing shit and I’m tired.” The blonde murmured into the softness.

“Want a massage?” Jongdae asked. The offer sounding too good to turn away, Minseok sat up and removed his shirt, laying back down on his front. Grabbing a random product from the bathroom, Jongdae positioned himself so he was sitting on top of Minseok. He squeezed the cold lotion onto his hands and began to slowly rub it into the skin of Minseok’s back. He was careful around the scarred areas, scared they were still sensitive but he kneaded into the skin. The massage felt amazing causing Minseok to sigh contently into his pillow on numerous occasions. He had no idea where Jongdae had learnt to massage like this but he didn’t bother asking, it felt too good. With each pressured push on the muscles Minseok could feel his stress fading away, relaxing the entirety of his body.

Jongdae shifted slightly and Minseok could feel that all too familiar feeling of Jongdae’s erection pressed up against his ass. He simply laid there, enjoying the massage but also loving the idea of thinking about how desperate Jongdae must be getting, feeling Jongdae’s cock twitch with every content moan Minseok let out. He tried his hardest to stifle a chuckle, he didn’t want to give it away that he knew. Ever so slightly he lifted his ass so it grazed against Jongdae teasingly, knowing that it would drive the younger crazy. He listened as the brunette let out a quiet moan that must’ve been smothered with his hand. The tension between them had Minseok’s mind wandering and eventually his own erection was being pressed against the mattress.

The massage continued but Minseok felt his fiancé lean down before he felt a pair of teeth press down on his skin painfully before pulling away and kissing the same area. Minseok let out a loud moan, loving it so much when Jongdae bit him. He lifted his ass again, however this time grinding it against his lover, also allowing him to feel the friction of his cock against his mattress. They stayed that way for a while, Jongdae massaging him while they subtly grinded against each other. When Jongdae slid off him Minseok missed the contact and rolled onto his back, watching Jongdae pull his belt out from his trousers.

“Put your hands above your head.” He demanded. Hesitantly, Minseok complied. A wide smile swept across his face when he felt the leather of the belt tightening around his wrists and tying them to the headboard. He tugged down on them, seeing that the restraints were tight, there was no way he was getting out of them until Jongdae decided he would untie him. His eyes focused on the brunette as his tongue trailed down his chest, stopping at the waist band of his boxers. Long fingers slid the navy fabric down his tanned tattooed thighs. Minseok bit his lip, head falling back at the sweet feeling of Jongdae’s warm mouth surrounding his length. Jongdae moved slowly, only taking Minseok in little bit at a time which drove him crazy. Eventually the entirety of his length was in Jongdae’s mouth which just _so good,_ he couldn’t help but jut his hips up slightly, pressing himself in deeper down Jongdae’s throat causing him to gag, throat muscles tightening around Minseok’s cock. Jongdae pulled away, thick string of spit hanging from his mouth and resting on the tip of his cock. The blonde let out a loud moan at the sight, his lover looking so perfect. His lover smiled back at him before wrapping his mouth around the erection yet again, this time however bobbing his head fast. There was nothing Minseok wanted to do more than entangle his fingers in the other’s hair and guide his head up and down his cock but alas he was tied up. He pulled on the restraints desperately, hoping to break free and fill out his fantasy but they were too tight.

Jongdae kept with sucking at Minseok’s cock for a while before he reached over to their bedside table, grabbing a bottle of lube, smearing the cold gel along Minseok’s length. He then smothered his fingers in the substance, reaching behind with his dominant hand, slowly starting to finger himself. Minseok’s lip biting got worse as he watched his lover half lidded and riding on his own fingers, soft grunts escaping his lips. He wanted to touch himself so badly, rub at his cock whilst watching his lover get off, more so he wanted to be the one who’s fingers were deep inside Jongdae grazing against those nerves that would send him squirming. Instead Minseok was still stuck, only watching.

“Please.” Minseok whined, growing more and more desperate with each beat of his heart. Jongdae flashed a smirk before leaning down and kissing Minseok softly, his lips still wet and plump from the blowjob. Jongdae shifted forward, one hand firmly wrapped around the elder’s cock, positioning it at his entrance before slowly lowering himself. Minseok’s eyes scrunched shut at the sensation and a breathy gasp caught itself in his throat. He imagined that his lover was in similar state of ecstasy but his eyes were still closed, simply feeling Jongdae’s muscles tightening around him. He jutted his hips up to thrust into his lover but Jongdae grabbing at Minseok’s hips pushed him back down, using all his strength to keep him pinned down. After he’d asserted his dominance, he began to move, grinding his hips down on Minseok. The disgustingly satisfying sound of skin hitting skin and the wet sound of lube filled the room, mixed in with their heavy breaths and moans. The brunette’s fingers trailed away from Minseok’s waist, working their way up to claw at his chest. Seeing Jongdae ride him like that was so hot, it was a memory that would be imprinted in his mind for the rest of eternity. There was nothing soft or affectionate in the way Jongdae moved, simply pure need and aggression, just how Minseok had always loved it. The whines and moans Jongdae let out were so raspy from constant strain, his eyes almost constantly scrunched shut. Jongdae was first to reach his orgasm, spilling out with almost a half scream. He kept riding Minseok’s cock though, through the twitching sensation of his orgasm which only lead Minseok to finish soon after.

Their eyes caught for a moment and Jongdae flashed a wide smile before leaning down to kiss Minseok once again. When Minseok had been untied and the both had taken the chance to clean up the two dressed themselves back up instead of sliding under their soft blankets.

“The long day only seems to get longer.” Minseok muttered as he slid his gun into its holster. Jongdae chuckled as he pulled on his leather jacket before running his fingers through his hair.

“That’s the price to pay when you’re in charge.” He replied.

“I guess so.”

“Anyway, what’re we doing tonight boss?” the brunette asked, earning a small smile from the elder. The two began their walk out of the building.

“Got some fuckers who owe us money, we’re gonna go make sure we get it.”


	18. Resurrect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally can't even make excuses now about how long this update has taken... I'm so sorry and I love you all! Hope you enjoy!
> 
> \- Riley

Jongdae laughed as he cracked his knuckles. Chanyeol added to the sinister chorus of laughter as he firmly gripped the man’s shoulders. The tied to the chair owed the gang over 213, 0000 won due to gambling loans he’d racked up. After the slightest bit of pressure for the return of their money he had vanished from their casinos all together, hiding from his debts. Minseok had sent the two of them out to find him and make him pay up in some way.

“You know Xiumin has been patient in the past, giving you time to give us what you owe us but unfortunately that patience has run out.” Jongdae said smoothly, smirking at the man. He was fat and balding, the typical kind of man you would find in their casinos. No family, no friends, dead end job and no reason to live in all honesty.

“I said I’d pay him back and I will! You got to believe me Chen!” He begged out, fear apparent in the tone of his voice.

“You see, that’s the exact same thing you said last time we had this conversation, I’m starting to not believe it Junho.” The balding man looked panicked, racking his brain for any possible excuse he could conjure up to get himself out of this situation. “We’ve run out of options. We know that you can’t pay this money, if your life wasn’t so pathetic you wouldn’t have had to borrow it in the first place but here we are in a predicament and I don’t know what to do.”

“We should castrate him.” Chanyeol growled. If Junho wasn’t in a panic already, there was no denying that he was going crazy now, scared of the inevitable pain to come.

“It’s not creative enough Chanyeol, we need something that’ll really teach him a lesson.”

“I’m so sorry! Please! Don’t do this! I promise I’ll get your money!” Junho cried only earning a laugh from the two EXO members.

“Look at him! Crying like a baby!” The tall redhead giggled. Jongdae mimicked being deep in thought, trying to create a sense of tension for Junho but he’d already thought of the perfect lesson to teach him. The brunette pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialled Yixing’s number, he had driven the two over and was waiting in the car. Upon the Chinese man answering the call, Jongdae requested he come inside with his first aid kit. When all was ready for Jongdae, he bent over to pull a knife out of his boot.

“What’re you doing with that?!” Junho bawled.

“Chanyeol, keep his head still.” Ordered Jongdae. The redhead did just that, grabbing the man’s face roughly, keeping it motionless despite how much he struggled. Bringing the knife to the corner of Junho’s mouth, he made the tiniest incision, barely even noticeable but the pain caused the man to let out a loud scream, splitting the skin and muscle in half all the way up his cheek. Blood fell from the wound like a waterfall, covering Jongdae’s hand. The brunette tutted through Junho’s cries of pain.

“Got blood on my jacket.” He muttered to himself. He clicked his fingers and ordered Yixing to sew up the ripped flesh, leaving Junho with a gory Chelsea smile. Jongdae stared the man down, maintaining strong eye contact.

“Two weeks. That’s when I expect to have our money, otherwise we will tear all the skin off your body before we let you bleed out slowly and bury you in an unmarked grave. Don’t try and run either, we will find you.” And with that, the three left Junho, making their way back to the casino.

 

The main casino was heaving, full of Seoul’s richest. Men in their designer suits and women in lavish gowns puffed away at their cigarettes as they played Go-Stop, piles of tokens littered on the tables. Jongdae intended to shuffle through the tables, greeting the gamblers but his eyes trailed down to the dried blood that coated his hand. He couldn’t walk through; it would push their customers away. Instead the three walked around the back of the warehouse before they cleaned themselves up and changed into suits. Jongdae and Yixing dispersed into the casino, in search of games to sit in on, and eyeing up those who would need loans soon, Chanyeol ran off somewhere, probably in search of Baekhyun. Jongdae spotted a game that was about to start and an empty seat, he quickly slid in next to a very beautiful girl and placed down his drink.

“Don’t mind if I join in do you?” He asked, his catlike smile attempting to charm those at the table. No one objected to his presence and the game went on to proceed. Having done this for quite some while now, Jongdae knew better than to win the game, he had to let someone take the victory to ensure their return. As they added more and more wins to their achievements it would eventually lead them to be cocky enough to play the casino’s hustlers, Sehun, Kyungsoo and Zitao. That’s when it’s game over, they were unbeatable, a flawless ability to cheat their way to the top and cheat their way to every penny the player had. All Jongdae had to do was sit back and enjoy his drink. The game looked like it was in the favour of the woman to his left. As she scanned her cards he looked over her features, she was incredibly beautiful, even as a gay man he even found himself wondering what she was like under her clothes. Taking another sip from his drink he tried to shake the thoughts from his mind, but her dark eyes flickered up to meet his through her glossy black fringe. She smiled weakly at her but her expression barely altered. Merely a couple rounds later she had taken the win, collecting the chips she rose from the table to cash them in without a word. Something odd possessed Jongdae and he found himself following her. Walking next to her, he tried to smile at her again.

“Hi, I’m Chen, I don’t think I’ve seen you here before, what’s your name?” She side eyed him coldly and didn’t say a word. Jongdae’s brows furrowed but he remained persistent, for some reason he just _had_ to know her name. “Hey, you know it’s not too polite to be rude to the owner of the casino you gamble at.” Her head snapped at those words, staring at him slightly wide eyed.

_“You’re part of EXO?”_ She asked in fluent Chinese. Thrown a tad off guard by the other language, Jongdae merely nodded in return. She began to smile and flutter her eye lashes at him which sent a weird sensation to his stomach. It felt to wrong to be feeling like this, he already had Minseok and yet here he was, stomach clenching at the sight of some woman. _“My name is Wang Yun.”_

_“Nice to meet you Yun.”_ He murmured back in her native tongue.

_“Chen, would you like to accompany me to the bar?”_ she asked, tone low. Jongdae gulped and nodded, feeling like a rabbit in headlights. He followed her to the bar, he couldn’t help but watch as her hips swayed side to side in her short black dress, in all his life he’d never paid this much to a woman before. Sitting at the bar they spoke for a couple of hours, a light conversation but as it went further on, Yun’s fingers would be tracing Jongdae’s thigh while he muttered sweet nothings in Chinese. It all felt so surreal to him, like the room was swaying and his head was light, it was a calm high he was experiencing but he was sober, no debates about it. He wished he was drunk, honestly he did, at least that way he could have the slightest excuse to why he was acting like this but there was none, he was just a shitty human being. The whole conversation he could feel the other’s eyes burning into him from their games, seeing his disloyalty for themselves. Feeling too much like an ant under a magnifying glass he jumped at the idea of going back to Yun’s place. Finger’s entwined with his, Jongdae lead her through the back so there was less attention on the two of them.

With each step the walls began to spin more and the ground felt like a rocking boat. His eyes became half lidded and it was proving difficult to even walk in a straight line. He had no idea what was making him be like this, he hadn’t even drunk a lot but nonetheless there was a sickness possessing his stomach, making him want to gag with each step.

“ _Yun, I don’t feel too well…”_ he said in a low voice, trying to focus on getting his words out. Her hand squeezed his comfortingly before speaking.

_“Don’t worry, you’ll feel better once we’re outside.”_ She insisted and Jongdae hoped to God she was right because it felt like he was dying. As he sloppily opened the door, it felt as if the streetlights were blinding him, stopping him from moving. It took a moment or two to become adjusted to the lighting out here, that’s when he saw the metal pipe swinging towards his face with a massive WHACK!

Then everything was black.

 

* * *

 

 

Pain. The warm sensation throbbed in the entirety of his face, it was difficult to open his left eye, it felt swollen. Opening his eyes to the best of his ability he glanced around, seeing that it was very dark, no light source in the room other than what crept under the door and illuminated the damp concrete ground ever so slightly. Trying to move Jongdae only discovered that his hands and feet were tightly bound to the chair he sat on, not even allowing the slightest movement on his behalf. His head was ringing so much, the pain made him want to cry, it felt like he’d broken his nose, alongside the hideous ache of a concussion. He sat in the dark silently for a while, knowing better than to shout out for help, instead he sat and thought about how he’d gotten into this situation. That’s when he realised that it all must’ve been due to that Yun girl. He couldn’t figure out her motives however. What could she gain from this? Why would she do this. He didn’t have many enemies except…Shit. He silently cursed himself for not guessing it from the moment she opened her mouth. Chinese. She was with Zhang Wei. As if thinking his name became a summoning spell, the door swung open revealing the man himself.

_“Why hello there Chen.”_ He greeted smugly. Jongdae didn’t greet him back, merely glaring up at the man which earned a smack from one of his men before he muttered something about ‘respecting the boss’.

“You won’t get away with this.” Jongdae replied, refusing to speak Wei’s language.

“Trust me, I will, I probably already have.” He shot back in perfect Korean. There was no use in asking the cliché questions like why was he here, what did they want with him and all that other useless swivel. Here was there because Wei was bat shit crazy, the man who had caused too much pain on him and his friends.

“I won’t be here long. That’s what you can trust _me_ on.” He spat, trying to show strength. Wei laughed which only caused Jongdae to cringe into himself.

“Your _pillow biter_ of a boyfriend won’t be coming to save you this time unfortunately.” Wei leant down, despite being eye level with the brunette he still managed to tower over him. The leader grabbed Jongdae’s chin roughly, forcing him to look into his eyes. “In fact, he won’t even miss you.” Panic and fear surged through every vein although he fought his hardest not to let it show, he couldn’t be weak in front of Wei.

“What’ve you done to him?” He asked wearily, scared of what Wei may had done to his fiancée. Wei simply reached deep into his pocket where he pulled out a familiar phone. Fiddling with the screen for a moment, he then turned it for Jongdae to see. Jongdae’s texts had been open, showing the name ‘Baozi’ boldly at the top, instead of the texts the two had exchanged, there was simply images. Just seeing them made him want to tear up, the sight before him absolutely sickening, the worst thing was he had no memory. The photos focused on him, however, Yun was draped seductively over him, some where she even had her hands down his trousers with his head thrown back. Focusing deeply on the images before him, he kept on seeing the empty bottles of alcohol, bags of all kinds of drugs dotted around them. Wei scrolled down further, revealing the grey box of a reply that he so desperately did not want to see.

Seeing such harsh words hurt him so much, he almost couldn’t breathe knowing that Minseok was yet again against him, severing their emotional attachment. He knew that Zhang Wei was right, by seeing those images Minseok would be filled with bitterness and rage, he wouldn’t come looking for Jongdae, he knew that all too well.

“What are you going to do with me?” Jongdae asked, his voice shaking with each word, no longer concerned with keeping a cool exterior.

“Well, I’m going to hurt you. Very bad. And then I’m going to hurt you some more, until you are completely broken and when you’re broken I’ll let your boyfriend know where you are. I’ll take your ransom and kill you both. When you’re dead I will work my way through all of your little friends until its only me and my men left in this fucking city.” Wei growled as he grabbed at Jongdae’s hair painfully, only tightening his grip with each word. Small tears gathered in the corners of Jongdae’s eyes despite the fact he knew this was nothing compared to what was to come. He had nothing to say, despite how mad Minseok must be with him right now he knew far too well that he would come sprinting to his rescue, only getting them both killed. He waited expectantly for more inevitable pain but Wei and his men began to slowly filter out of the room till he was left completely alone. Alone in the dark.

 

* * *

 

 

Jongdae had cried until he couldn’t cry anymore. He had resisted until he couldn’t resist anymore. He had screamed until he couldn’t scream anymore. He had begged until he couldn’t beg anymore. All that was left for Jongdae was his silence. Day in and day out Wei’s men came in to his cell, swinging baseball bats at his knees and ribs, stabbing his thighs and forearms with hot knives, he’d been locked in the room with violent dogs, often the pain had caused him to throw up, only allowing his torturers to force him to lick it off the floor like the very dogs who hurt him. It had been the most degrading experience of his life, being treated as nothing other than a human ragdoll to be used daily for abuse. At first, he had prayed so hard for Minseok, or anyone to come save him but as the weeks rolled past the hope simmered down till it was completely extinguished. He had come to terms that here would be where he stayed until the pain finally claimed him.

The door of his cell swung open just as it did every day at the same. The same faces appeared into the darkness, turning on the dim lightbulb. It was hard to adjust to the light, being in the dark for so long made it hard for Jongdae to see properly.

_“Alright Faggot?”_ One questioned upon approaching Jongdae. He said nothing in reply, knowing all too well that a reply would get him hurt for being a ‘smart mouth’. He couldn’t help but notice that today they brought no equipment, nothing visible that could hurt him which only worried him more. One of the men went behind Jongdae and began to untie his hands, at this point the old Jongdae would’ve fought, tried to escape but he was too weak and too injured.

_“Stand up, we’re moving you.”_ Jongdae didn’t know what was happening, he hadn’t left the room in god knows how long. He tried to lift his weight, only resulting in him collapsing on the floor with a pained cry. He heard an annoyed groan before he felt himself being lifted from the ground. The men, none too softly, aided him out the room and through foreign corridors till they were stood outside yet another room. The used to be redhead frowned in confusion as the door was unlocked, revealing a very dimly lit room. In the corner was a frail figure curled up, their face hidden in the shadows.

_“Enjoy the company.”_ The man growled before harshly shoving into the room, as he fell he hit his head upon the concrete floor. When he managed to gather, himself he lifted his hand to the source of pain, only to be met with a sticky wetness in his hair. He timidly looked over to the figure who had slightly shifted, it was as if they were just as confused about the shared confinement. The silence of the room was broken when a familiar voice spoke up weakly.

“Jongdae?” he’d heard that voice before, he knew he had, he’d heard it a lot but he couldn’t place the voice to a face. The figure shuffled forward more, taking his face out of the darkness. the man’s expression was filled with worry amongst the bloodied cuts and bruises. It seemed that there had been a bad injury on his shoulder that had wept through his clothes, clearly infected. His face though, Jongdae’s stomach dropped at just the sight of it. The plausibility of him being here was next to impossible, he must be imagining it.

“No, you’re dead. I saw you die, you can’t be here!” he croaked out, voice rubbing against his throat like sandpaper. With all the strength he could muster he pushed himself from the floor, scrambling to get away from this bad nightmare.

“Jongdae, no it’s me! It’s really me!” The man exclaimed, almost desperately. Jongdae couldn’t help but stare in pure disbelief, it wasn’t plausible that he could be here right now. “It’s me, Kris.”


End file.
